


A Place to Stay

by WickedlyAwesomeMe



Series: Across the Universe [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Merlin's Magic Revealed, Sequel, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-11
Updated: 2017-10-13
Packaged: 2019-01-15 20:26:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 27,173
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12328269
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WickedlyAwesomeMe/pseuds/WickedlyAwesomeMe
Summary: They never expected to see each other after all these years. But Arthur could not stay, and Hermione knew this.Sequel to A Place to Belong





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Sequel to "A Place to Belong".
> 
> Italicized parts are flashbacks and mostly in Hermione's POV in "A Place to Belong".

* * *

_When she felt a sudden strange pull at her navel, Hermione Granger knew she was in for the worst._

_With her eyes tightly closed and her stomach uncomfortably churning, she thought she would die. Minister Kingsley Shacklebolt had warned her beforehand that the repercussions of the new potion that was developed by famous Healer Luna Lovegood-Weasley, the wife of George Weasley, could be drastic. Although Luna had considerably changed after the Second War, Hermione still had doubts. As the Head Auror of the Ministry, she was tasked to test it before officially releasing it to the public._

_Actually, it was never the plan for Hermione to test it. But seeing that Healer Lovegood was heavily pregnant with a child and none of her other healers shockingly wanted to volunteer to test it, Minister Shacklebolt had no choice but appoint Head Auror Granger to test it herself._

_The thought had unnerved her and, dare she say it, terrified her. Despite the change in her character, she is and will always be Luna Lovegood. She had made a name in the whole Wizarding World for her bizarre inventions and discoveries. In fact, she was the one who successfully formulated a cure for lycanthropy; therefore, all of her inventions and discoveries were greatly valued by the Magic Ministry._

_Currently, Luna developed a new potion that was supposed to remove most of the repercussions that were developed during the Second War. Nightmares, tremors, breakdowns… all of them would disappear if the potion was administered. Harry Potter, who was an important member of the Wizengamot, was the most suitable for the testing, but seeing that he was currently away in his honeymoon with his wife, he could not do the job._

_Hence, Hermione had no choice but to accept the task. After all, it was for the greater good._

_And in the end, she was proven right, for once the strange sensation in her navel had stopped, she slowly opened her eyes. Warily, she surveyed the whole place with keen eyes and heightened hearing. As the well-renowned Head Auror of the Ministry of Magic, she was the best among all of the aurors. Her skills and ability had developed with enough training and experience and when she was appointed as the new Head Auror, she made history as the youngest of all Head Aurors._

_Hermione meandered through what looked like a forest and softly mumbled under her breath. This was not supposed to be the immediate effect of the potion. She was supposed to feel some 'tingling sensation' according to Luna to know that the potion had actually worked. To be brought in a forest was not part of the instructions._

_The brunette sighed and stumbled out of the bushes, noting with dismay that branches, leaves, and dirt had clung to her body. Her exposed lower leg was already slightly bleeding with scratches from the unsuspecting branches. Scowling, she bent down to examine her wounds, but she miscalculated a step. She was unable to see a protruding root from the ground. A sudden shout of surprise escaped from her lips and she fell down and landed on the grassy ground._

_"I can't believe I agreed to this," she muttered in annoyance. "I'm supposed to be sleeping and not doing this goddmaned task!"_

_Somebody suddenly coughed and she lifted her head, cautious. Opposite her stood two, strange men. "Um…" she started, her eyes warily sweeping from the blond to the raven-haired and then back. At the same time, she stood up from the ground._

_The blond dismounted from his horse and cautiously approached her. "Are you lost?" he asked. "Can we help you?"_

_A soft sigh escaped from her lips. "Yes, you can," she slowly replied. Her eyes swept over his body and that was when she noticed the strange outfit that he wore. Truth be told, he looked like a medieval knight out of a picture book she used to love when she was still young. "Y-you're a knight?"_

'A knight in the forest,' _she thought, her frown deepening._ 'A knight in the forest… this isn't good.'

_It was obvious he was surprised with her question. Why? She did not really know. After what she perceived as a full minute, he slowly nodded his head._

_Panic slammed against her chest and her eyes widened in disbelief. For a blasted knight to be in the forest was a crazy sight. "C-can you tell me where I am?" she asked, unable to mask the anxiety that she felt._

_The blond curiously looked at her first before answering, "Near the western boundaries of Camelot," he replied._

_Camelot._

_He answered that she was in Camelot._

_In the western boundaries of Camelot._

_Camelot, Merlin's beard. She was in_ Camelot _._

_"Oh," was all she managed to say in her surprised stupor. "I… err… Blast."_

_She ignored the surprise that appeared on the blond and the raven-haired's faces. All that was in her mind was the fact that she was in Camelot, a supposedly ancient kingdom in her history books. To know that she was in it only meant one thing – Luna Lovegood never told her she might be sent centuries back if her potion did not properly work._

_Maybe, such was her distress for the raven-haired spoke for the first time. His startlingly blue eyes sent alarming bells in her mind and she swore she had seen that face somewhere before. The problem was, she could not put a name on the strange young man._

_"Perhaps it is best if you come along with us," he said. His eyes briefly swept all over her and he surprisingly flushed. "A-a lot of evil lurk in this forest and it isn't nice for a girl to roam around, unattended. Right, Arthur?"_

_Hermione loudly gasped. "A-Arthur?" she stammered. "King Arthur?" Hey, she was in Camelot after all, and it was common sense to conclude that the famous Arthurian figures were also in this ancient kingdom._

_"Prince, actually," the handsome blond immediately corrected. He then pointed at the man beside him. "And this is Merlin, I'm sure we'd - "_

_"M-Merlin?" she sputtered out, her disbelief intensified. She was, without any doubt, standing in front of the two most powerful figures of the Arthurian legends and truth be told, Hermione had no bloody idea what to do._

_"I… I c-can't…" Her hands suddenly snaked against her face and she released an ear-splitting scream. "KINGSLEY SHACKLEBOLT, I WILL KILL YOU!"_

_She knew this was a bad idea. For Kingsley to recklessly let her try the potion was not the best choice at all._

_Slowly, she removed her hands against her face and flushed in embarrassment and anger. Unknowning tears had also formed at the corner of her eyes. Arthur and Merlin were strangely looking at her._

_"T-the help that you offered," she started. "Does it still stand?"_

_Prince Arthur swallowed and slowly nodded his head. That was when Hermione let her tears fall._

* * *

"Sire, we must return," Merlin claimed in exasperation, scowling slightly at the back of the king's head. "Today is Samhain and the council awaits their king."

Arthur glared at his manservant. "I know, Merlin, I know," he snapped offhandedly, clutching the reins of his horse tighter. "There's no need to talk to me like that." He scowled and looked back at the exasperating servant once again. "You have no right when it is you who asked me to trot in the Darkling Woods in the first place."

Merlin was about to open his mouth and retort something back, before clamping his lips tight and blushing in embarrassment. Arthur rolled his eyes at the idiot's ridiculousness before looking straight ahead and urging his horse to gallop faster.

King Arthur dreaded what was to greet him back in his kingdom. Ever since he became king, which was almost a year ago, things had started to become too demanding and hectic for him to handle. Of course, as king, he had no right to complain. Being the Crown Prince for ages gave him a gist of how everything would be once he assumed the role as a king. But seeing that the title was bestowed upon him prematurely (the memory of his father's death still saddened him) and that things were actually different once experienced firsthand, King Arthur Pendragon could loudly proclaim that he was exhausted.

Like what Merlin had pointed a while ago, today was the Day of Samhain and as tradition, Camelot held a feast in honor of the dead and their ancestors. Today was a particularly special and solemn one, seeing that it was the first time they were to commemorate the death of the late King Uther.

Arthur expelled a soft sigh, his heart burdened with the grief of his father's death once more. A lot of things had happened for the past few years. Enemies became pronounced... people he used to love suddenly turned their backs from him. Morgana stood startlingly stark amidst all the betrayals that had happened around him and the thought of the traitor made his blood boil.

It was Morgana who caused so much grief to his kingdom… to his _heart_ , and Arthur had sworn on the day of Uther's death ceremony that he would protect Camelot from the likes of her. Morgana made several attempts to overthrow him, but due to his resilience and perhaps even luck, he still managed to live and continue reigning over the vast kingdom of Camelot.

Being king had its own perks. His decisions were absolute and law. Anybody who dared to question him would immediately be accused of treason. There was only one person who seemed oblivious of this, though. Secretly, Arthur thanked the gods above that despite his promotion, Merlin still stayed the same and treated him as if nothing had changed between the two of them.

There was one thing the council had been bugging him for ages, though – Camelot still had no _Queen_.

Princesses and duchess all came and went to Camelot, but no one had the privilege to win the king's heart. Even Merlin played matchmaker at times. The fact that they were pressuring him to find a bride infuriated him so much.

 _"You cannot rush me,"_ Arthur harshly claimed back then.

 _"But, sire,"_ one of the members answered back. _"The throne needs an heir, especially now that your life is in danger of Morgana's evil ways."_

With blazing eyes and clenched jaw, he glared petulantly at his own council. They shrunk away from his gaze and Arthur secretly marvelled at the sudden fear in their eyes. _"I am king,"_ he calmly replied back. _"You have no right to pressure me to do things."_

And, well, his words managed to put a spell on his council members. They stopped pressuring him to find a bride now, but he knew with their knowing looks and indignant stares that they still thought it was right for him to find one.

Arthur knew they meant well, but then again, he just couldn't bring himself to find one.

He refused to believe it was because of her, but everything points down to her. He thought he had forgotten her ever since she left. Merlin had been careful not to speak of her name whenever he was in Arthur's presence, and he thanked his manservant for that. She would always be a painful memory to him, much more painful than Gwen's refusal of his love, and anything that reminded him of her brought a thousand daggers in his heart.

At night, he still dreamt of her… of her eyes, her hair, her smell, her everything and then, he would wake up, feeling empty and longing.

It had been almost three years, but Arthur Pendragon still couldn't forget Hermione of Somewhere.

"Arthur?"

The king slightly jerked, looking at Merlin questioningly. For a moment, he forgot that he was not alone. Upon seeing Merlin's worried face, Arthur smiled and shook his head. Often, his mind would wander off and he knew that Merlin had an inkling as to what, or more appropriately _who_ , he was thinking about.

"We're almost near, Merlin," Arthur flippantly said. "Make haste."

Merlin bit his bottom lip for a while before slowly nodding his head. "Of course, sire," he replied.

Arthur looked straight ahead and surveyed the Darkling Woods. Night had already befallen and if they did not arrive in the castle for a few more minutes, things would be much more dangerous. After all, it was the Day of Samhain. Things would be unpredictable tonight.

As they continued journeying, a sudden fog started to form. Arthur ignored it at first, thinking they'd be out of the forest before the fog became a bother, but as they galloped more, the fog started to become thicker.

"Stop," Arthur ordered, squinting his eyes. Behind him, he could make out the form of Merlin and his horse and he scowled. He couldn't see anything clearly anymore. "I think it is better if we continue on foot. It'd be more dangerous if we ride on our horses."

He heard Merlin answer in agreement, before there were shuffling noises. Soon, both the king and his manservant were walking back to Camelot.

Arthur had his arms outstretched ahead of him, his hands brushing against tree trunks and bushes. This time, he couldn't see anymore and it frustrated him so.

"Be quick," he said through gritted teeth.

He felt Merlin grabbing his arm. Normally, he would have shrugged his hand off in disgust, but things were starting to get hazy now, and Merlin's hand brought great comfort upon him (though, Merlin did not need to know that).

They walked for ages, and Arthur lost track of time. He wondered if the feast back in Camelot already started without their king. He could already predict the infuriated greeting of his council. The Day of Samhain is a sacred celebration and it shouldn't be taken lightly. For Arthur to reason that they lost track of time in the Darkling Woods was an unacceptable excuse.

Up ahead, then, he saw a blinding, white light. Thinking it was the exit from the woods, Arthur and Merlin jogged quickly towards the light, only to hear a deafening sound.

Arthur drew out his sword, ready to fight off whatever was making that sound, when a scene most peculiar greeted his eyes. In front of him and Merlin stood a vast, blue monster. Arthur menacingly glared at the monster that was producing the said light and noise. He slashed his sword against it, but to his horror, his sword merely clanged against it.

With widened eyes, he realized that this peculiar monster was made from metal.

Panicked, Arthur turned to Merlin to relay his discovery, only to notice that they were not in the Darkling Woods anymore. In fact, they were in a strange place, with towering buildings and staring people wearing an odd ensemble of clothes.

"Oh dear! Oh dear!" someone suddenly claimed.

Arthur returned his gaze back at the blue monster, only to see a person coming out of it. His eyes widenend and he took a step back in surprise. 

"Are you all right?" a pretty blonde asked, peering at him and his stunned manservant. She looked above her shoulders and lightly glared. "Ernie can be annoyingly fast sometimes. I apologize on his behalf." She returned her warm gaze back at the two and smiled. "Are you both all right?"

"Um…" For the very first time in his whole life, Arthur was speechless.

Her eyes darted on his manservant, then back at him, and frowned. "I see everything had shaken you up," she murmured, tucking a stray curl behind her ear. "No worries, I'm a Healer. I think it is best if I bring you to St. Mungo's so that you'd be checked up a little." Her eyes gazed a little too long at their clothes and she smiled once again, this time of amusement. "I'm sure your costume party can wait."

Before Arthur or Merlin could even sputter a coherent sentence or two, the pretty blonde already grabbed their arms.

The next thing Arthur knew, there was a strange pulling sensation in his navel.

* * *

_Hermione avoided Gaius and Merlin's scrutiny. Currently, she was in the bedchamber of the Court Physician, a kind, old man named Gaius, and reluctantly revealed to them of her true nature. Seeing that she was under the presence of the great Merlin himself, Hermione knew they could be trusted enough to keep her secret._

_"So… you're from the future?" Merlin slowly asked, absentmindedly frowning._

_The brunette cringed, before slowly nodding her head. "Q-quite right," she stuttered out. At the corner of her eyes, she saw how Merlin shot Gaius an amused look._

_"How do we know you are telling the truth?" wise Gaius asked, quirking up a greying eyebrow. "How do we know that you are not merely a spy sent from a rivalling kingdom?"_

_Hermione sighed and tiredly rubbed her face. Her warm, brown eyes determinedly met Merlin's surprised, blue ones and she started, "You."_

_Merlin blinked and pointed at himself. "Me?" he asked, confused._

_"You will be the greatest wizard the whole world has ever known," she continued, ignoring how Merlin's cheeks colored with her words. "King Arthur, the Knights of the Round Table,_ Merlin _." She shook her head and smiled. "It's because of you people in the future can freely do their magic. It's because of you magic thrived and advanced, which brings me to the next thing that I need to show you to prove myself."_

_Quickly, she pulled out her wand from her hidden pocket. Both Gaius and Merlin warily looked at her magical stick and she almost smiled when Merlin unknowingly stretched out his right arm in alarm. "Don't worry," she said. "I'll merely show a trick or two."_

_She gazed around Gaius' dishevelled bedchambers before choosing to point her wand at the messy stack of books on the floor. With a quick wave of her wand, the books lifted into the air and one-by-one returned to their original place inside the bookshelf._

_Once the deed was done, she returned her gaze back at Gaius and Merlin. The former now was staring at her in surprise and probable delight. It was Merlin that made her chuckle. For lack of a better word, he was bewildered. His eyes were as wide as saucers and his mouth was agape. Weird sounds escaped from his lips, before turning his eyes at his mentor._

_"D-did you… did you see that?" he gushed out, his cheeks coloring once more because of amazement this time._

_"Yes, yes, I saw it, my dear boy," Gaius said, cracking a small smile._

_"I… I… wow," Merlin said, looking back at Hermione. He tried to control his emotions, but it was obvious he was excited. Hermione couldn't help but chuckle at his awe. "In the future… magic will be practiced freely?"_

_Hermione nodded her head. "Yeah," she answered with a smile._

_"B-but how?" he asked._

_The brunette mysteriously grinned. "Spoilers," she said, shaking her head. "You have a great destiny up ahead of you, Merlin. Where's the thrill when you already know how everything will end?"_

_Merlin matched her grin. "I already like her, Gaius," he said good-naturedly, prompting the brunette to lightly blush._

_"All right," the Court Physician said. "Now that you've proven yourself innocent, can you now tell us as to how you arrived here in Camelot?"_

_Hermione thoughtfully scratched her chin and frowned. "A potion gone wrong," she said with a sigh. "I had a bad idea about it already, but it was my duty to try it, so I had no choice. The next thing I know, I'm walking in this Darkling Woods you say."_

_"Duty?" Merlin asked._

_"Um…" the brunette started, creasing her eyebrows. "You see, technically I am the Head Auror back in my world." Both Gaius and Merlin merely stared at her blankly. "Well, you can say they are future knights, sans the shiny armor, swords, and horses."_

_"I don't mean to offend but, well… you're a girl," Merlin pointed out._

_Hermione proudly grinned. "Women gained their positions in the future," she said. "It is one thing to look forward to."_

_"This potion that you speak of," Gaius said, "Do you remember all the ingredients and procedure on how to make it?"_

_"I… I guess," she replied back, tucking a stray curl behind her ear. "Before I administered the potion, my boss tasked me to memorize everything." She strangely looked at Gaius. "Why?"_

_"You're looking at the best potion-maker of Camelot, Hermione," Merlin proudly said, pointing at Gaius. "I'm sure that if we are able to identify what went wrong, we'd be able to help you to get back to your world."_

_Hermione produced the most humongous grin she could ever muster. "Thank you," she breathlessly said. "I… I don't think I can manage to get back into my own world alone."_

_"But, I do believe it would take weeks, perhaps months for us to find a solution," Gaius reminded, prompting her smile to falter. "So, for now, we must make up a pretend background for you, Hermione. I am sure Uther will be able to bestow upon you a vacant position here in Camelot."_

_Hermione, although a little nervous with Gaius' suggestion, nodded her head in agreement. "All right," she said, taking in a deep breath. "I will do my best."_

* * *

"Just… just a minute," she claimed out in exasperation and all noises in her office died down.

Hermione Granger, aged twenty-five, clenched her jaw and glared darkly at the three people in her room with so much intensity she could see how they all froze right on their very spot.

The Head Auror then shifted on her seat and cleared her throat. "Thank you," she calmly replied back. "Now, let's do this one at a time, all right?" Her eyes landed on the nearest person on her desk and nodded her head.

Susan Bones weakly placed the document she had been furiously waving in the air a while ago before taking a step back. "Um…" she squeaked. Susan paused and cleared her throat before continuing, "The Aurors you sent to America gave a report just this morning of the rogue Death Eaters in hiding."

Hermione's interest was piqued, "Go on."

"Like what you've predicted, Rodolphus Lestrange is one of them."

The brunette bit her bottom lip, deeply contemplating. Rodolphus Lestrange had been on the run after the downfall of Lord Voldemort and his sick ideology and he had been on the very top list of the most wanted of the ministry ever since. Bellatrix Lestrange's death had a huge impact on him, and it wasn't really surprising that the ex-Death Eater sought revenge by wreaking havoc in the continent of America. They had been tracking him down for ages and to know that he was finally almost in their grasp, Hermione was thrilled.

"Reply that I'll send another batch of Aurors as back-up," Hermione then said. "Until then, they must not attack until they deem it to be necessary. Keep an eye on Lestrange, for Merlin's sake. We cannot afford to let him slip away from our grasps again."

Susan nodded her head. "Of course, Auror Granger." She then turned around and left.

Hermione's eyes then landed on the next person in line. "Mister Creevey," she said, raising an eyebrow. "Is there something you want?"

Colin Creevey scurried closer to her desk, his beloved camera clutched tightly against his chest. "T-the Daily Prophet asked me if they could get a picture of you, Miss Granger," he stumbled, sheepishly lifting his camera. "Just for the special edition that will be coming out next week."

Soft chuckling from the other person in the room reached her ears and Hermione glared. "Thank you, Mister Creevey, but as you can see" – she gestured at the monstrous pile on her desk – "I have a lot of work to do."

Colin deflated and looked sorely disappointed. Hermione, secretly having a soft spot for the boy ever since their Hogwarts years, finally expelled a defeated sigh and said, "Perhaps, we can talk about this over lunch tomorrow. Does that sound good to you?"

The photographer grinned widely and jovially nodded his head. "That would be good, yes," he gushed out in excitement. "Thank you, Miss Granger." He then waved his hand goodbye and left the room.

"I thought that after Hogwarts, he'd mellow down," Ron Weasley then said, striding closer to Hermione's desk. "He's still the same overly-excited chap."

Hermione gave him a withering glare and Ron merely smiled back. The brunette then shook her head and was unable to suppress a smile of her own. "What are you doing here, Ronald?" she asked, clicking her tongue. "Head Auror Granger, remember? I have so many things to do."

"Now, now, there's no need to boast your position Harry and I used to covet," he said, winking his eye. Hermione immaturely stuck out her tongue. "Anyway, I came here to personally deliver you this." He rummaged inside his pocket and pulled out a small envelope. When he placed it on top of Hermione's desk, she realized it was an invitation – _a wedding invitation._

Hermione snorted in an unladylike manner. "About time, eh?" she asked, feeling the corners of her mouth lifting.

"Yeah, well, Parkinson was ready to pull my hair out if I didn't make haste," he said, scowling at the thought. "Merlin, we still have five months to go and she thinks we're running out of time." A fond smile grew on his face and he shook his head. "Women."

Ron's relationship with Pansy Parkinson came as a surprise to all. Everybody thought it would just be a meaningless fling, even Ron and Pansy themselves, and that Ron was merely moving on after his break up with Hermione. But then, lo and behold, the two fell in love, and it was plain to see that they wanted to spend their lifetime with each other. Everybody knew right there and then that the only thing missing in Ron and Pansy's life was the sacred vow.

"Well, you can't blame Pansy now, can you?" she shot back, rolling her eyes. "It's the most important event in her life and everything should be flawless."

Ron made a face. "Pansy kind of changed," he said. "Controlling everything, throwing tantrums when there are minor errors… I'm even willing to bet my whole Quidditch team she became just as scary as you." He made a show of shivering, prompting Hermione to roll her eyes. "Imagine if we didn't break up and ended up in this situation. Godric, you might have turned into a _monster_."

Hermione playfully hit his arm. "Then thank the gods above we broke up," she teased, laughing when Ron pouted.

"Well, I must get going then," Ron said, gingerly patting Hermione's head. "I cannot keep the Head Auror from her work. Besides, I have a Quidditch practice coming up."

"Be careful, Ronald!" Hermione said, lightly glaring at him. "No new tricks for now, all right? Don't give Pansy a heart attack."

Ron merely snorted. "Don't overwork yourself," he reprimanded back. "Don't give Crookshanks a heart attack."

The brunette playfully hit him again, prompting him to laugh. Ron bent down to give her a gentle kiss on top of her head. "See you next time, 'Mione," he called, turning around and leaving the Head Auror alone in her office.

Hermione took a deep breath as soon as she was alone. Wearily, she raised her hand and rubbed the bridge of her nose. Things were starting to become hectic once again and honestly, all Hermione wanted to do right now was to sleep. But then again, with the stack of documents on her table as a harsh reminder, she had a lot of things to do and any personal needs must be mercilessly neglected for now.

She grabbed the topmost document from the pile and started perusing its contents. It was what she did for the remaining hours of the day and just when she was about to finish, a soft knock from her door broke her from her concentration.

"Come in," she said, distracted.

Her door opened and she looked up, only to be surprised to see the Minister of Magic himself. Kingsley Shacklebolt smiled at her surprise, before inviting himself inside. "Hello, Head Auror Granger, I trust you have been well," he said.

Hermione unwittingly narrowed her eyes. The Minister never visited anyone's office unless it was important. He had visited her office like this once, and the result of his visit gave her a broken heart.

"Minister Shacklebolt," she said, slowly standing up from her chair. "What brings you here?"

"Do I really have to have a reason to visit one of my best employees?" he asked, raising a perfect eyebrow.

In spite of herself, the brunette chuckled. "Nice try, Kingsley, but I think we've known each other for a long time already for me to buy that," she said.

He smiled, obviously humoured, before nodding his head. "It seems that you are rather eager for us to skip the small talk, so I will not beat around the bush," he started. When Hermione questioningly looked at him, he continued, "Healer Weasley Floo-ed a while ago and" – a small, confused frown grew on his face – "she delivered a message _most peculiar_."

"Go on," she said in encouragement.

"While Luna was travelling on the Knight Bus near the Leaky Cauldron, which still boggles me how someone chooses to ride that monstrosity, they came across two men… _strange_ men, if I may add," Kingsley continued.

Hermione absentmindedly stacked the messy documents on her desk. "I don't really understand why you are telling me this, Minister Shacklebolt," she said, secretly itching to apparate back home and have a nice, long, warm bath.

"You see," he continued, "the two insisted that they are King Arthur and Merlin of Camelot."

Once the names rolled out from his mouth, everything around Hermione stopped. Arthur and Merlin. _The_ Arthur and the Merlin.

 _Arthur_.

She started to tremble, the memories of her stay back in Camelot suddenly flashing before her mind's eye.

"Head Auror Granger?" Kingsley worriedly asked. "Are you quite all right?"

A shaky chuckle escaped from her lips and she turned to look at the minister. Through the reflection of the window of her office, she could see how her face had paled.

 _'Can it be?'_ she briefly asked herself, but shook the arriving thoughts away. Everything that had happened to her three years ago was already part of a dream, a _wonderful_ dream, and nothing more. She already accepted the fact that she returned, and she would not be able to go back, no matter how much she wanted to.

"I-I'm sure they are just a bunch of nutters," she said, cursing herself for stumbling.

Kingsley looked at her strangely for a while before sighing. "That was what we thought at first. Even Luna brought both of them in St. Mungo's to be checked," he added, his eyebrows now creasing in confusion. "But then, complete with the attire, mind you, they seemed very adamant of their identities."

Hermione swallowed and heavily leaned against her desk. She was afraid her knees would fail her soon. "W-why are you telling me this?" she asked.

The Minister gave her a pointed look. "You've been to Camelot before," he stated matter-of-factly. "I do believe there is a possibility that King Arthur and the great Merlin himself were able to bring themselves into their future… our now. I want to assume you had been acquainted with them before and you know how they should look like. Thus, I ask you to go to St. Mungo's and see them for yourself. Merlin knows how the Wizarding World will become abuzz if they discover two legends found themselves lost in our world." Kingsley blinked, processing the last sentence he said. With a humoured smile, he added as an afterthought, "Scratch that. I think Merlin wouldn't know."

"I…" she mumbled, her blood freezing. "I-I… err…"

"Is everything all right?" Kingsley asked, looking at her peculiarly. "You do not look so good, Hermione."

The brunette waved a dismissive hand and tried to right herself. "I-I'm fine," she whispered, feeling strange emotions stirring in her heart. "T-tell Luna I'd go, Minister Shacklebolt."

Kingsley smiled and nodded his head. "Thank you, Hermione," he said. "Immediately report whatever conclusion you have formulated."

Hermione nodded and watched as Kingsley left her office. Once he was gone, she plopped down on her chair with a soft whimper.

Already, she had an inkling her visit in St. Mungo's would result to another heartbreak.

* * *

_"Well?" Hermione asked, peering eagerly at the pensive Court Physician. Beside her stood Merlin, equally curious and excited himself._

_Slowly then, Gaius placed the parchment back on his desk and smiled kindly at Hermione. "I do believe I can do it," he said, absentmindedly scratching his chin. "There are ingredients that are hard to gather, but I'm quite sure that sooner or later, we will be able to procure them all._

_Hermione beamed so brightly and was unable to stop herself from throwing her arms around the kind, old man. "Oh, thank you, Gaius!" she said. Behind her, she could hear Merlin's amused chuckles. "I-I don't even know how to repay your kindness."_

_"I do not seek any repayment, my dear girl," Gaius said, gently patting her back. "I am already contented in helping you."_

_"But Gaius," Merlin said, drawing both of their attention to him, "how do you suppose you will be able to concoct the potion that will bring her back to her world?"_

_"Well," Gaius thoughtfully said, looking at the list of ingredients and the procedures that Hermione had penned just a while ago, "I've been a Court Physician for far too long already and I've seen different kinds of ailments in my whole existence. I hate to admit it, but it is the first time I stumbled upon a time traveller, so I'm afraid we have to stick with experiments."_

_Hermione thickly swallowed. "Experiments," she squeaked. "Experiments are… err… good."_

_Gaius chuckled at the terror on her face. "You must understand one thing, though – potions are similar in a lot of ways. Their effects might vary, but their properties are almost quite the same. Most potions, if made using the reverse procedure, that is you start from the last until the first, will cancel whatever effect the original potion has on whoever administered it." **[1]**_

_"So… you're saying we have to make Luna's potion using the reverse procedure?" Hermione asked, highly curious. She had heard of such before, but never tried herself. After all, Potion Masters always told her that using the reverse procedure could have dire results in the end._

_"Quite right," Gaius said, "but, it will be harder than making the potion using the original procedure. And very dangerous, too. It can cancel the effects of the original potion, yes, but if made improperly, it can potentiate the effects instead of cancelling it."_

_Hermione paled at Gaius' words. "Well, I'd rather not traipse around with dinosaurs," she said._

_"What are 'dinosaurs'?" Merlin asked, confused._

_"Never mind, that," Hermione said, waving a dismissive hand. She turned her gaze back at Gaius and determinedly nodded. "I'm willing to take the risk, Gaius. And I… trust you."_

_Gaius gently smiled. "I will do my best," he said._

_A sudden knock from his door disturbed their conversation. Merlin, with a frown, walked towards the door and opened it. Outside stood Guinevere and Lancelot and Hermione had to bite her bottom lip so as to stop a gasp from escaping from her lips. She spotted the two of them a few days ago, but to see them in close-up still awakened the history fanatic in her._

_"Gwen, Lancelot!" Merlin said. "What brings you here?"_

_Lancelot smiled. "I just want to remind Gaius of our trip to the village to treat the diarrhea breakout," he said._

_"Oh, yes, right," Gaius said. "You can go ahead, Sir Lancelot. I will follow after a few minutes."_

_"Will you come, Gwen?" Merlin asked, looking at the pretty curly-haired beside the knight._

_"I can aid you, Gaius, if you like," the maidservant offered._

_"That is highly appreciated, Guinevere, thank you," Gaius replied back._

_Gwen nodded and looked back at Merlin. "Well, we must get going then," she said. With a wave of her hand, she bid them farewell, and together with Lancelot, she went to the village to start preparing for Gaius' arrival._

_"I don't mean to pry," Hermione then suddenly said. Both Merlin and Gaius questioningly looked at her, and she could feel her cheeks warming up in embarrassment. "But are Guinevere and Lancelot in an… well, intimate relationship?"_

_Merlin chuckled, but Hermione could see how his smile did not reach his eyes. "Yes," he answered, his chuckles dying down. For a moment, he forlornly looked at his hands. "I cannot say we did not see it coming."_

_"But Arthur - !" Hermione caught herself and tightly clamped her lips._

_The manservant looked at her in surprise, before narrowing his eyes in suspicion. "Where did you get that information?" he asked, already having an inkling as to what she was about to say. Merlin looked at Gaius and lightly glared. "Gaius," he admonished._

_"I didn't tell her," the Court Physician said, sighing._

_"I… I kind of figured it out myself," Hermione quickly said. "I mean, it's plain to see the feelings that Prince Arthur harbours for Gwen."_

_Merlin sighed and sadly smiled. "Broke his heart, that much I know," he said, now helping Gaius fix everything that he would need in the village. "He doesn't want to talk about it."_

_"But - " Once again, Hermione clamped her mouth tight and frowned. According to the Arthurian legends, Guinevere will choose Lancelot once Arthur was King and she was Queen. Seeing that she was still currently a maidservant, Lancelot was an amiable and loyal knight, and Arthur was far from being a King… it was just not right._

_Perhaps she was brought into an alternate universe, she did not really know. Everything in this world was different from what she had learned back in Hogwarts. But then again, the legends about King Arthur and the Round Table had always been enigmatic. Maybe, the legends she knew were twisted and formulated to be different from what really had happened._

_Before she could even dwell deeper into her thoughts, Gaius and Merlin already ushered her out of their room to the village._

* * *

She stumbled out of the fireplace and released a huge sneeze. Those nearby her looked at her weirdly and Hermione could feel herself coloring in embarrassment. Due to her haste and frazzled nerves, she Flooed a little improperly and managed to inhale some soot into her lungs. It was a wonder as to why she was still able to reach St. Mungo's despite being disoriented.

Hermione brushed off the remaining soot from her robes before journeying towards Luna's office. As the Head Healer of St. Mungo's, she owned a single office, just like Hermione.

They had been friends back in Hogwarts, but their friendship grew stronger once Hermione became the Head Auror and Luna, the Head Healer. Their jobs surprisingly required partnership at times. Hermione had gotten a lot of injuries and had been cursed a lot of times, and it was always Luna who patched her up until she was up and about.

Ever since then, Hermione completely trusted her whole life to Luna. Nothing drastic had really happened to Hermione, until, of course, the incident involving a potion and time travelling.

The moment she came back from Camelot, everybody was relieved. Luna, horrified herself, had cried guilty tears to Hermione for hours and Hermione, weary from the travel and heartache, merely comforted the Head Healer until her tears abated.

While Hermione recuperated from the accidental time travel, Luna dedicated her working hours improving the potion. She had pinpointed the cause of Hermione's time travel and had fixed the potion until she thought it was better and proper.

This time, it was Harry who administered the potion. There were no time travelling that had happened to him. In fact, there were no visible negative effects. The next day, a flustered Harry Potter came jogging inside St. Mungo's to announce that Luna's potion worked.

 _"I've never slept so well since last night,"_ he proclaimed loudly, drawing Luna Lovegood-Weasley into a hug. _"Thank you, Luna."_

Harry continued drinking the potion. There was one minor side-effect, which was exhaustion, but nothing disturbing or life-threatening had happened to The-Boy-Who-Lived. The Relieving Potion, as what Luna coined, was soon released in the mass. Those who were haunted by memories of the Second War embraced the potion. There were a few who got addicted to it, but since then, nothing drastic had happened to those who administered the potion.

Hermione was one of those who drank it once in a while until the nightmares diminished. Until then, Lord Voldemort's red eyes had not visited her in her sleep.

"Hermione?"

Her name broke her off from her musings and she turned around. Opposite her stood Healer Weasley, who gave her a bright, wide smile.

"You came!" she said, launching herself into the arms of the brunette. "I know it is sudden, but it was only you I could think of."

Hermione absentmindedly patted Luna's back. "I-I don't really mind," she said, biting her lip afterwards. She hoped that Luna wasn't able to catch the slight shake in her voice.

Luna pulled away and motioned to follow her. They went up a couple flight of stairs and meandered through corridors. While walking, Luna told her some information she had gathered from the two, strange men.

"They seemed indignant," the healer said with a sigh. "I've had my fair share of deliriousness before" – Hermione couldn't help but chuckle at her words – "but really, this is odd! They both claim to be King Arthur and Merlin and I don't really know what to do."

"I-I'm sure they're just merely fancying themselves with the thought," Hermione said, nervously wringing her wrist.

Luna shrugged. "Well, we managed to bring you to the past," she said matter-of-factly. "I'm quite sure it is not impossible for King Arthur and Merlin to be brought into the present, too."

Hermione made a noncommittal sound at the back of her throat. She couldn't really choose which one was worse – for the two men to really just be playing an awful joke or for the two men to be actually telling the truth. Whatever was true, Hermione knew she would go home with tears.

No one really knew what really happened to her back in Camelot, even Luna, and she was thankful nobody bothered asking her. They were all relieved that she was well and she managed to go back into this time period to mind whatever happened to her in Ancient Camelot.

She had pushed those memories at the deepest recesses of her heart. Anything that reminded her of Camelot, of _Arthur Pendragon_ , broke her heart all over again and it was up to her to pick up the pieces and mend it back together.

During her free times, she would read more stories about the Arthurian legend. The adventures of the great king and the legendary wizard always fascinated her so, and sometimes, she was still in disbelief that she actually met the two of them.

There was one time she read about King Arthur's marriage to Guinevere and that night, she cried mournful tears and even asked for Kingsley to grant her a day-off for the following day. Ever since then, she steered clear from anything related to the Arthurian legends.

She knew she should sooner or later accept that anything that had happened to her back in Camelot should be treated as a mere dream. Dwelling deeper into her memories only brought grief. Thus, she moved on, and although there were times when she remembered Camelot, it only left a hollow feeling in her heart.

But then, _this_. Two strange men, claiming to be the Arthur and the Merlin shook up her already stable world. If they really were the same Arthur and Merlin she came to know, Hermione did not know what she would do. She never fancied herself into thinking that she would meet them again. Hence, she never prepared herself for any kind of reunion.

"Hey," Luna said, invading her thoughts once again. She grabbed Hermione's elbow to get her attention. "Are you all right, Hermione?"

She did not trust herself to speak, so Hermione merely nodded her head and slightly smiled.

Luna peered at her strangely for a while, before finally opening a door. "They're inside," she said, pointing at the door. Healer Weasley strode inside, but Hermione found herself frozen right on the spot. Her heart thudded wildly inside her ribcage and she could already feel her panic rising. Emotions swirled at the pit of her stomach and Hermione honestly felt sick.

"Head Auror Granger?" Luna asked, this time downright worried. She opened the door completely, allowing two pairs of eyes to settle on the brunette.

"H-Hermione?"

The brunette closed her eyes, oblivious that a tear rolled down from her eyes. She recognized that voice. _'Oh gods,'_ she thought inside her frenzied brain. _'Oh gods. Oh gods. Oh gods.'_

Slowly then, she opened her eyes. They met the surprised blue eyes of Merlin himself, who was brought onto his feet upon seeing her. Shakily, she shifted her eyes on the frozen body beside Merlin and a soft sob managed to escape from her lips.

Arthur Pendragon, the man who unknowingly stole her heart and had not returned it ever since, was staring right back at her.

* * *

 

**[1] I just made this whole thing up, with the reverse procedure and everything. I hope it was believable.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Merlin's magic revealed and Arthur is in disbelief. Both try to adjust in the modern world while Hermione and the gang try to think of a solution to their predicament.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Italicized scenes are Hermione's flasbacks.

_Hermione secretly expelled another soft sigh. Why Prince Arthur Pendragon stumbled upon her while she was collecting flowers for the Hall of Ceremonies baffled her so. She welcomed this opportunity to do such a trivial task so that she could spend some time alone, especially because of how Gaius' potion seemed to be such an unsuccessful task as of late. It seemed like for the following two weeks she had no choice but to stay in Camelot._

_Arthur had been prattling on and on about the beauty of Camelot, and Hermione found herself absolutely concurring. But then again, like what she had previously answered to him, it wasn't the same. It wasn't home. She didn't belong here._

_The brunette already felt her heart sinking upon remembering all the work she had left back home. She wondered how Kingsley handled her absence; the Second War had just ended and there were still rogue Death Eaters running rampant all throughout the world. It wouldn't do the ministry some good if she was stuck here in Ancient Camelot while she withheld one of the highest responsibilities in the Wizarding World._

_"You baffle me," Prince Arthur suddenly said. "I don't even know how to properly interact with you. You are annoyed by me, aren't you? That is why you are so keen of going home."_

_Hermione stared at him in amusement. For her remaining stay, she absolutely found the future great king annoying and downright condescending. Poor Merlin had to answer his every beck and call. She must admit he had his own strong points, but then, sometimes his arrogance overshadowed those good points._

_"Yes, you annoy me," she honestly replied back. She couldn't help but notice how his eyebrows shot up in plain amusement. "But you're not entirely the reason as to why I'm so keen of going home. I've left a lot of… err… work back home and I know I've missed a lot already. I'm needed back home."_

_"This home that you speak," Arthur continued, "where exactly is it?"_

_She was reminded of the lush green of the Hogwarts grounds. She was reminded of the towering trees that almost obscured the sunlight in the Forbidden Forest. She was reminded of the bustling movements in the streets of Muggle London. She was reminded of the scrumptious meals Molly usually made for a little get together. She was reminded of the smell of parchment and ink of her office in the ministry. She was reminded of her vast, warm bed often occupied by Crookshanks in her apartment. She was reminded of the familiar, warm faces, smiling brightly back at her._

'Home,' _she thought silently to herself._

_Flippantly, she stared back at the Prince. "Oh, somewhere," she answered back. Arthur gave her a strange, confused look and she merely shrugged. "I'm not inclined to tell you something personal, Prince Arthur. I've already established the fact that you are a prince and you deserve some of my respect."_

_Their small banter back in his bedchambers still annoyed her sometimes. It was a testament that Arthur Pendragon was, and perhaps will always be, a condescending, arrogant, and stuck-up Prince. Maybe he would change once he was king, but Hermione didn't really fancy herself into thinking she'd be here to witness his coronation. After all, King Uther seemed perfectly healthy to her, what with his energetic enthusiasm to rally all the sorcerers of the land and kill them all._

_Arthur then gave her a small, strange smile. "Will you give me the opportunity to know you more?" he asked, his voice almost a whisper._

_Hermione was baffled with his question. She could feel her cheeks coloring, but she did not dare avert her wary gaze away from him. Such words that escaped his mouth somehow alarmed her. She tried her very best to blend with the others, diligently doing her duties so as not to be noticed much by everybody. If she was being noticed by the Prince, much less mercilessly bothered by him, then it meant she was doing a poor job of making herself insignificant._

_"Um…" she started, not really knowing what to reply. "We'll see about that."_

_Arthur good-naturedly laughed at her answer. He strode closer to her and Hermione found herself shrinking a little back. "You are a strange girl, Hermione of Somewhere."_

_He then proceeded to lift his hand and tuck a small flower he had been toying with behind her ear. For a moment, his fingers brushed against her cheeks and Hermione found herself flushing once more. She felt a sudden jolt of electricity and suppressed a gasp. Arthur by now was strangely looking at his fingers, and Hermione wondered if he felt it too._

_"Well… err… g-good day, sire," she stuttered, clumsily curtsying and walking past him. Strange sensations erupted at the pit of her stomach, but she furiously pushed them away. If she had to get back home, she had to keep her priorities straight._

_Today had been strange, though. Although she and Arthur normally bantered when they were in each other's company, Hermione found with a surprise that today seemed rather… tame between the two of them. Amused, Hermione shot a quick glance behind her back, unbeknownst to her that a small smile was now stretched prettily on her flushed face. Arthur still stood there at a distance, strangely looking back at her._

_Catching herself, Hermione quickly looked straight ahead, her cheeks darkening._

'Priorities,' _she repeated to herself._ 'Priorities.'

_It didn't help that Arthur Pendragon was doing something strange to her._

* * *

"I-I can't believe it," Merlin gushed out, pacing back and forth whilst successfully making his hair more dishevelled. His startlingly blue eyes warily gazed around at the small group in the room in the Potter Manor and felt the panic inside him building up once again. He was reminded of Arthur's look of betrayal and he blanched. The said king currently locked himself up in a room the Order of the Phoenix, as what they called themselves, graciously prepared for him.

"I'm sorry, but it was already done," Kingsley Shacklebolt, a dark-skinned man who introduced himself as the leader of this world… this _Wizarding World_ , stated.

Merlin groaned and plopped down on the chair in the room. "I knew it was a bad idea to ask Arthur for a little trip in the Darkling Woods," he said, guilt now bubbling at the pit of his stomach. He couldn't be blamed, though. Arthur hadn't been the same ever since… _well_ , and he just wanted to be a good friend and cheer him up a little.

But then, _this_! They now found themselves lost in a world where everything was different, magic was freely accepted, and a few centuries forward. Now, Arthur knew of his magic and had been brooding about it ever since. 

"We are going to help you go back to your time period," another man, this one named Harry Potter, assured him with a gentle nod. He was a peculiar man with a lightning-shaped scar on his forehead. One quick look on it gave Merlin the idea that he did not acquire it through a mere accident. Cringing, he could feel the magic that his scar screamed whenever his eyes landed on it. "Rest assured that we have a group of brilliant wizards and witches to aid you. For instance, Hermione here is our Head Auror. I'm sure her extensive knowledge about magic and spells will be able to help you return."

Upon the mention of her name, Merlin's eyes landed on her. Hermione had been awfully quiet the moment she strode inside that little room where he and Arthur were brought in by Healer Luna Weasley. She had shed quite a few tears and had been stunned by their arrival. With Arthur sitting beside him that time, he felt how his sire stiffened when she arrived.

It had been almost three years ever since he last saw Hermione. It came as a surprise to him that she was here. Of course he knew of her magic, but he never realized she was regarded as one of the most powerful.

"I-I can't believe you're here," Merlin said, stretching out his hand to reach for her. Hermione didn't fail him for she shakily clutched it back. Her hand was cold and clammy, and she gripped his hand for comfort. Somehow, Merlin had an idea that she was trying to make herself believe that he was actually here, that _Arthur_ was here, and she was not merely dreaming.

"I can't believe you're here," she whispered back, blinking back her tears.

Merlin grinned brightly at her. He still constantly voiced out to Gaius back home how he awfully missed Hermione. Her brief presence in Camelot brought a considerable light in the kingdom. When she was there, things had been… _happier_.

The manservant swallowed and shook his head. "Ever since you left…" he sputtered out, at loss of what to say. "Arthur - "

She silently cut him off when she tightly squeezed his hand. Questioningly, he looked back at her eyes and saw the panic in there. That was when he realized nobody knew of the budding romance that had happened between her and his king. Sensitive enough, Merlin clamped his mouth shut and comfortingly squeezed her hand back.

"From what you had stated a while ago," Minister Shacklebolt said, directing his attention to him, "you got lost in the Darkling Woods on Halloween, yes?"

"Halloween?" Merlin asked, confused.

"Samhain," Hermione immediately explained. "We call your Samhain as Halloween, Merlin."

The young warlock absentmindedly nodded his head. "The fog was very thick and we lost our way."

Kingsley sighed and clasped his hands together. "As you all know, Halloween, or in your case Samhain, is a day when the veil between life and death is very thin," he continued. "At the same time, the veil between worlds is as thin on this very day, too. Perhaps, you managed to cross the borders without meaning to."

Merlin clamped his lips tight. He was making sense.

"I think the best solution to your problem is to cross over the said boundaries when the veil is very thin once more," Kingsley thoughtfully said.

Silence settled among them, letting his words sink in. It was Hermione's startling voice that broke the silence.

"Beltane," she quickly gushed out, her cheeks coloring in excitement. "On the Feast of Beltane, the veil will be thin once more."

"Beltane?" This time, it was Harry who looked at her questioningly.

"Celebrated at the start of May," Hermione explained. "It marks the start of summer. It is a dying celebration, I think, with a handful of countries still celebrating this event. People are starting to forget that on the Feast of Beltane, the veil between life and death is thin once more."

"But that is many moons away," Merlin said with a frown. "We left Camelot in a very vulnerable state, Hermione. I don't think it is a good idea to wait for Beltane for us to try returning."

Kingsley sighed. "It is a wonderful plan, though," the minister said. "But then, of course, we could try brewing potions and even finding spells to bring you back to the past."

Merlin firmly nodded his head. "All right, I have to tell Arthur and - " His words died down, Arthur's face of betrayal once again dancing in his mind's eye. "Arthur now knows I am a person of magic. I'm sure he wouldn't listen to me for a while."

"I'll try to talk to him," Harry surprisingly declared. When they all looked at him questioningly, he shrugged and sheepishly grinned. "Hey, the Legendary King of Camelot is living under my roof. I'd never miss an opportunity to talk to him."

Merlin gave him a grateful smile. "Be careful, though," he warned. "King Arthur is a difficult man."

* * *

_The exasperating man was following her once more and Hermione couldn't help but to sigh. Here she thought she would be able to peacefully buy ingredients in the village market today, together with Merlin, but lo and behold, Arthur Pendragon came in his manservant's stead._

_He said he had some business to do in the village market, but Hermione very well knew he was lying. Hermione really did not understand how Arthur could find joy in pestering her in her daily activities. She tried her very best to keep to herself, to steer clear of any potential acquaintances, sans Gaius and Merlin, but strangely, she always found herself being trailed behind by one Arthur Pendragon. He reminded her of those infuriating Slytherins who hurtled disparaging insults towards her, but he was different at the same time. While the Slytherins had an intent of hurting her with their words and sometimes even their magical prowess, Arthur just seemed to plainly enjoy bothering her._

_They'd been jumping from one stall to another, and Hermione surprisingly found herself enjoying. Arthur held this certain interest in his eyes whenever she bought ingredients, usually after bargaining the price. The king had been surprisingly amiable, commenting trivial comments here and there, and busied himself by talking to his subjects. She still felt a little uncomfortable with the attention they were attracting, but brushed it away in the end. Today was a lovely day and she'd rather not have her mood dampened by a disbelieving man._

_"That was good back there," Arthur said, jutting his thumb towards the potato stall. "For you to bargain a bunch of potatoes for an absolutely low price, I can't deny I'm amazed."_

_Hermione couldn't help but chuckle at his comment. "This happens everyday, sire," she said, an amused smile on her face. "I do wonder what you usually do for the day."_

_"Oh, train and all," he lightly replied. Hermione raised an eyebrow at the tone of his voice. "Nothing too hard for me to do. After all, I'm still the prince and I have to be the best in everything. Not that I'm not, of course."_

_The brunette snorted and rolled her eyes. "How can you not get tired of that condescending attitude of yours?" she admonished, trying her very best not to smile._

_"And how can you not get tired of insulting me, the prince?" He placed a huge emphasis on the last word. "If I am not as considerate as I am right now, I would have long banished you from the kingdom for speaking ill of the prince."_

_Hermione finally allowed herself to smile genuinely at him. Yes, he might be condescending. Yes, he might still be a plain, annoying, arrogant git. But she had seen him sometimes, in the Throne Room or in the Training Ground, and she actually saw the generous, considerate, and compassionate king the legends hailed him to be._

_"But that's the thing," she said, the smile not leaving her face. "You are considerate. Thus, here I am still."_

_It was probably the first time she complimented him. The surprise on his face showed, for his eyes widened and his cheeks reddened with embarrassment and… flattery? Before Hermione could even dwell on his strange actions, all the color from his face drained away._

_Confused, Hermione questioningly looked at him. But Arthur was looking at something else and she craned her neck, following his line of vision. Her heart sank and her mouth dried upon seeing Guinevere and Lancelot strolling towards their direction._

_She was thrown into a panicked state and Hermione racked her brain to quickly come up with an excuse so that Arthur would avoid this awkward situation. ""I-I think I still forgot to buy some threads," she stuttered out, praying to the heavens above Arthur would listen to her. "Should we go back, sire?"_

_It frustrated her so that the prince ignored her words. Gwen and Lancelot were a few meters away from them and she desperately looked back at Arthur, his face void of any emotions._

_Hermione even thought of pulling him away, but it was already too late. Gwen and Lancelot already spotted them. Gwen's cheeks colored and Lancelot stiffened and Arthur… Arthur was stoic._

_"Guinevere," Arthur calmly greeted and nodded his head. His eyes strayed on the knight standing beside her and nodded his head once again. "Lancelot."_

_The couple seemed monumentally relieved. Gwen even managed to brightly smile back at him._

_"Your highness," Lancelot replied back in greeting. They then strolled past them and Hermione stared at Arthur with unadulterated astonishment._

_"What?" Arthur asked in frustration, warily glaring at her._

_"You just… did my eyes deceive me?" she breathlessly asked. "You just greeted Guinevere and Lancelot."_

_Arthur shrugged and started to walk again. Hermione had to run to catch up with him. An awkward silence settled between the two._

_She was still rather uncomfortable with the information that Gwen and Lancelot were in a relationship. Merlin told her once that this had broken Arthur's heart, but for him to greet them calmly astonished her so._

_At the corner of her eyes, she was watching him. Again, it frustrated her that his face was void of any emotions._

_"Do you… do you want to talk about it?" she softly asked, peering at him carefully._

_She waited for him to reply, but it looked like Arthur was already lost in his own little world. She wondered if she had offended him and she quickly apologized in return. The prince merely nodded his head, still distracted and confused._

_Hermione fumbled with her basket and had not talked until they returned back to the castle._

* * *

He was marching in his manor, readying himself to talk to King Arthur.

 _King Arthur of Camelot_ , good Godric.

It was probably in the wee hours of the evening, but Harry Potter still felt very much awake. Ginny was already sleeping in their room. She very much wanted to be part of the interrogation, but her pregnancy tired her so; thus, she had no choice but to retire early.

While Kingsley and Hermione brought Arthur and Merlin in his manor to be questioned, he owled Ron to be part of the inquisitorial squad, but seeing that his best mate was to be married soon, Ron had to decline. Harry's letter had been discreet – he left out Arthur and Merlin's name in case it was intercepted by the wrong hands. Harry had this inkling any wedding plans would be dropped by Ron as soon as he discovered it was _the_ Arthur and _the_ Merlin's inquisition they were talking about.

Everything was still a surprise to Harry. He remembered Hermione's time travelling accident and how he had worried himself sick. He knew how time travelling could be dangerous and for them to discover that she was sent back centuries ago, back when magic was actually prohibited, Harry couldn't imagine his best friend living in such a dangerous time period.

But then, now, it was King Arthur and Merlin under their care. Although there were confusions, especially because Merlin looked very young and not the old man history classes taught him to be, they were still them and Hermione confirmed their allegations.

Their inquisition had turned nasty by the time Arthur discovered that his manservant was a person of magic. By then, he stormed away and hadn't shown his face ever since.

Harry's heart actually went out for poor Merlin. He knew his reason for hiding his magic was reasonable, especially because Arthur was a man who believed that magic was an abomination. But then, it was plain to see that Arthur felt betrayed, and well, Harry couldn't really argue with that either.

While Kingsley did most of the interrogation, Harry observed the remaining people in the room. Hermione, to his utmost surprise, seemed the most shaken of the group. He was tempted at times to tell her to go to bed, but there was a glint in her eyes that halted him from doing so. He had seen Hermione shaken up like this before, but there was a different emotion in her eyes. Harry remembered seeing that on the following days of her return from Ancient Camelot.

Hence, he took it upon himself to talk to the king. He figured Kingsley had other business to attend to and could not afford another hour wasted in the Potter Manor. It seemed like Arthur would refuse to talk to Merlin, and Hermione didn't look so good. And so, he took it upon himself to communicate with the king.

Harry didn't really know how to handle him. Although history books spoke of his nobility and chivalry, he was still a king. Judging from Merlin's words, too, Arthur could possibly be difficult to handle.

Once he arrived in the guest bedroom where he knew Arthur was, Harry readied himself first before knocking on the door.

Nobody answered, so he thought Arthur might be asleep already. Turning the doorknob, he peeked inside and saw the king, who gravely sat on his bed and was very much awake.

"Um… your highness?" he called, fully inviting himself to stroll inside. "May I have a word?"

"I wish to be alone," Arthur imperatively said, his tone of voice cold and weary. "Leave."

Harry raised an eyebrow at his command. "You might be king," he carefully started, "but I am not your subject."

Arthur sneered at his comment. "I am still a king," he said, echoing Harry's words. "Show some respect."

"Whoa, whoa now," The-Boy-Who-Lived said, raising both his arms in defeat. "I come here in peace. I did not intend to offend you, forgive me."

The king warily stared at him for a while, before averting his eyes away silently. Harry took this as his silent acceptance of his apology and carefully walked closer to the king. Despite the darkness, he could see the exhaustion painted on the king's face. His body screamed of weariness and Harry almost felt sorry for intruding his solitude.

"Look," Harry started, "I know all of us are tired and weary, and numerous secrets have been revealed." Arthur couldn't help but scowl at his words. Harry stared at him oddly for a while, and then continued, "It must be hard for you, staying with a bunch of people that possesses magic that you view as an abomination."

Arthur stiffened and he refused to meet Harry's intense gaze. "I understand," he continued. "You live in a different time period where magic might probably be used for the worse; hence, giving you that idea. But rest assured that we are not the bad guys… that we are here to help. You are welcome to live under my roof while we try to find a solution to your current dilemma."

"We had a brief discussion and Hermione actually had a good idea," he stated, missing the way Arthur's hands clenched at the mention of the brunette. "You were brought here on the Day of Samhain, correct?" He waited until Arthur reluctantly nodded his head. "Because of the thinning of the veil, we reckoned you crossed over the boundaries of a different world; thus, you are here."

Harry lightly smiled before continuing. "Hermione thought that the best way for you to go back is when the veil thinned once again. She said something about the Feast of Beltane, so I'm assuming you'd be able to probably return on this day."

"The Feast of Beltane," Arthur slowly said, his eyebrows knitting together. "That seemed far away."

"Merlin thinks so, too," Harry said, expelling a soft sigh. "Don't worry. We can help you research for an alternative. For now, that seemed to be the best option for you."

Arthur was silent for a while before cautiously nodding his head. "I… _thank you_ ," he said, coloring in embarrassment.

Harry boyishly grinned. "Just wanted to prove not everybody who possesses magic is a bad guy," he retorted back.

"Hmm…" Arthur said, lifting a corner of his lips. "We'll see about that."

Harry raised an eyebrow at his statement. "Indeed," he replied, unable to suppress a chuckle. "Well, I think it is best if I retire for the night. If you need anything tomorrow, don't hesitate to approach me."

He then nodded his head in farewell and turned around, ready to leave.

"Hermione…!"

The-Boy-Who-Lived stopped, turning around to look at Arthur in confusion. "What about Hermione?" he asked.

"I… well… had she been well?" Arthur softly asked, a peculiar glint in his eyes.

"Well, she was quite shaken up with the sudden turn of events, but…" His voice faltered when Arthur vigorously shook his head.

"No," the king stated, "I meant, had she been well ever since she returned?"

Harry blinked his eyes, confused with his question. He very much wanted to ask why he was concerned with Hermione, but held his tongue. It was obvious Arthur was weary, and quite embarrassed with his question, too. He'd rather not burden the exhausted king more the night.

With a small smile on his face, Harry answered, "She had been well."

A forlorn smile appeared on Arthur's face, much to Harry's confusion. "I'm glad," he whispered. "Goodnight, good sir."

Harry straightened up and nodded his head. "Goodnight, your highness," he said, completely walking out of the room and closing the door behind him.

Licking his lips, Harry strolled back to his own bedroom. _'I just had a conversation with King Arthur,'_ he told himself, amused and baffled at the same time. 

As he settled down beside the slumbering Ginny, Harry had this inkling the following months would be an interesting one.

* * *

_"Merlin," Hermione said with an amused smile. "You're staring."_

_Instead of becoming embarrassed, Merlin now openly stared at her. Hermione grew hot under his gaze and rolled her eyes when he chuckled. "Now that I properly think about it, you are an interesting being," he said, lazily scratching his chin. A strange glint appeared in his eyes and he looked at her once more. "No wonder…" His voice faltered._

_The brunette peered at him curiously. "You're odd," she playfully said, rolling her eyes when he placed a hand against his heart in pretend hurt. A soft chuckle soon followed, and Merlin's face now broke out into a large smile._

_Currently, they were in Gaius' bedchamber. The said Court Physician was still in the village, running an errand. Last night, he promised Hermione to fill her in about the progress of the reverse potion and since then, Hermione had been a fidgeting mess. Merlin, being such a wonderful friend, volunteered to stay with her for the day._

"Arthur can dress himself up, for all I care," _Merlin told her when she inquired about his duties. Hermione merely raised an eyebrow at his statement. Somehow, she predicted he would have another humiliating session in the stocks._

 _She did point it out to him, but his words surprised._ "I'm sure you need me more than Arthur does right now," _he replied, complete with a genuine smile on his face._

_Hermione was still in disbelief she actually found a true friend in the form of the legendary Merlin. She wondered how her friends would react when she described him as a clumsy, gangly young man, with a head full of ambition and a heart full of compassion. She was sure they wouldn't believe her._

_Her thoughts were brought back to the present when Gaius arrived. He did a double take for a while, but then smiled and settled his things on his worktable._

_"How was the village?" Hermione amiable asked, pouring Gaius a goblet of water._

_The Court Physician gratefully drank first, before answering her question. "Quite good, I think," he said. "There were a few colds and fevers, but nothing life-threatening."_

_He then walked towards a shelf full of potions and grabbed a handful of them. He returned back to his worktable and lined them on the table. He also gathered some ingredients and placed them on arms length. This would make his brewing much easier._

_"Well then," Gaius said, gesturing at the bubbling cauldron. "Let us begin."_

_He brewed for a full, straight hour. Hermione and Merlin tried their very best to be off service to the old physician. The brunette actually thought Gaius was having a hard time, and there were times when she was tempted to tell him to rest. But there was hard determination in Gaius' eyes, and she knew that no amount of coaxing would stop him from continuing._

_Soon, he was now allowing the potion to simmer down. Merlin immediately grabbed a small vial and gave it to the Court Physician. Gaius waited for a few more minutes before pouring a small amount inside the vial._

_He then presented it to Hermione, but her heart fell upon seeing its color. Gaius once told her that reverse potions should look exactly the same as the original potion. She distinctively remembered that the potion Luna made her drink was a beautiful shade of green. The potion that Gaius made had a sickly shade of green swirling inside._

_Upon seeing her face, Gaius sighed in exhaustion. "I failed again, didn't I?' he said, frowning slighty._

_Hermione swallowed guiltily. "I-I'm sorry, Gaius," she said. "I've been such a bother to you… to both of you."_

_To her surprise, the old physician chuckled warmly. "Why are you apologizing, child?" Gaius asked, raising an eyebrow. "You haven't been bothering us. Don't you think so, too, Merlin?"_

_"No, not a bother," the manservant said with a boyish grin. "Who said you are a bother, Hermione?"_

_The brunette tearfully smiled and looked longingly at the failed potion. "T-there's always a next time," she softly said, her smile growing when Gaius gently patted her back._

_"Now, now, there is no need for your tears," he lightly admonished. Hermione chuckled and vigorously wiped her tears away. "Merlin, why don't you bring her to the village and give her a little treat? Helen makes the best pies there, doesn't she?"_

_Merlin beamed and vigorously nodded. "Come on," the legendary warlock said, clutching her elbow and directing her out of the physician's bedchambers._

_Before completely going out, Hermione craned her neck to look at Gaius. He was looking at the both of them and when he saw Hermione's eyes, he smiled and warmly waved his hand in farewell._

_Something warm pooled in Hermione's heart, once again feeling the tears gathering at the corner of her eyes. She might be lost in this strange, ancient place, but she was happy she was able to find good friends, who were willing to help her back home._

* * *

 

A full month passed ever since they were brought back into the future, and Arthur was slowly growing restless. His mind was filled with worry and wonder, thinking how his court handled the throne now that their king was missing. Knowing his knights, they were probably searching every day, every night, wishing to at least get a glimpse of their king and bring him home once again.

Arthur's heart sank, thinking the despair his absence might have brought to his kingdom. Without the king, Camelot was vulnerable. With the threat of Morgana, the Saxons, and even the rivalling kingdoms… Arthur blanched at the idea that his people might be hurt without him.

A full month already passed, but they still had not come up with a brilliant plan. It seemed like returning on the Feast of Beltane was the best option as of now.

His trail of thoughts was disrupted when a soft knock came from his door. Knitting his eyebrows in confusion, he wondered as to why Merlin knocked now when normally, he didn't.

"Come in," he called out. The door slightly opened and a beautiful redhead, with eyes a lovely shade of blue, smiled prettily at him.

"Breakfast is ready," she said.

Unwittingly, his eyes magnetized down on the small bump on her stomach. Harry told him that his wife, Ginny, was expecting, and somehow, she reminded him of a friend back home.

"Thank you," Arthur replied, pushing his longing at the deepest recesses of his heart. "I'll be ready soon."

"Oh, um, Merlin said he couldn't help you get ready for the day," Harry's wife added, a sheepish smile growing on her face. Arthur deeply frowned at her statement. "He's currently in the ministry with Minister Shacklebolt. I'm sure they are discussing about how you and Merlin could return back to your own world."

Arthur knitted his eyebrows in confusion. "Without me?" he asked, feeling rather annoyed.

"Well, technically they started last night while you were sleeping already," Ginny explained. "They had not returned ever since. Kingsley just sent a letter this morning to say that he would have Merlin with him until lunchtime."

The king sighed and wearily nodded his head. "I understand, thank you."

Ginny smiled before closing the door, completely leaving Arthur. Once he was alone, he groggily stood up from his bed. A wide yawn tore away from his mouth and Arthur luxuriously stretched his arms. He made a quick trip to the bathroom (which, apparently, still bewildered and amazed him so), before trudging towards the small wardrobe to choose his outfit for the day.

He still found the clothing of this time period weird, but strangely comfortable. Women, for instance, rarely wore skirts and dresses. They wore what they fondly called as 'jeans'. During their time, women of today could have been classified as underdressed, but they seemed awfully ignorant of this simple fact. He and Merlin had a hard time accepting this, but they soon adapted. They could look at the clothing of a lady without batting an eyelid anymore.

Now, as for the men's clothing, Arthur grew to like them. A knight's armor was always a bother to wear. They very much protected him from his enemies, yes, but they were unbelievably heavy, hot, and uncomfortable all together. Normally, he would have felt naked without his armor, but in this time period, nobody knew he was a king and his manservant a sorcerer, so he didn't really mind wearing a simple t-shirt and jeans.

Today was a cold December, though, so he selected a thick, woolly sweater, comfortable pants, and sneakers. Arthur also chose a thick scarf and wrapped it around his cold neck. Soon, he felt comfortable enough and trudged out of his bedroom.

Despite feeling out-of-place, Arthur soon grew to like this manor. The Potters were amiable and had treated him and Merlin with utmost respect and honesty. Visitors came and went, and Arthur was thankful that they merely regarded him and Merlin as insignificant visitors.

They all agreed to keep their identities a secret to the whole Wizarding World. Apparently, his manservant was quite famous and if people discovered that the legendary Merlin was currently living with the Potters, all hell would break loose.

Speaking of Merlin, Arthur slowly, but finally came into terms with his manservant's magical ability. The first few days after he discovered Merlin's ability was plain torture to his manservant, that much Arthur understood. He refused to talk to Merlin, having been betrayed by his lack of honesty. Goodness, he kept the fact that he was a practicing sorcerer. Arthur still couldn't believe that one was serving him right under his nose!

But then, Merlin was the only familiar and comfortable presence in this strange, vast place. Gradually, Arthur started to talk to him again, and even allowed Merlin to serve him. Although he was still a little bit wary of his power, somehow, he had forgiven Merlin already.

The idea of magic was still an uncomfortable topic for Arthur. No one really knew of the real conflict inside his brain. He was living with people who had magic. He was being helped by people who had magic. They were all so good to him and Merlin, and Arthur wondered once in a while if magic in itself was not exactly evil. He had seen these people use their magic for the greater good. In fact, they all held positions in their so-called ministry, a form of government, with a task of protecting the people of the Wizarding World. They had not showed any kind of malicious intent involving their magic, and it had baffled Arthur. Perhaps, it was one reason why he easily forgave Merlin. Thinking of all the years they had been together, Arthur remembered all the good things Merlin had done to him. He remembered the times when he was at the brink of death, and he had this inkling Merlin and his magic greatly helped him in the end.

"Ah, good morning, your highness!" Harry Potter greeted chirpily, snapping Arthur off his musings.

Arthur smiled at Harry in greeting. Here in this world, he was considered as the hero, fondly called as The-Boy-Who-Lived. He never really knew his full importance in the Wizarding World, but from Merlin's snippets, he got the gist he was powerful.

The king then settled himself on one of the chairs and waited until a house-elf arrived to serve their food. Arthur stiffened when he heard Poppy's familiar pop. Although friendly, he still couldn't get used to the house-elf. She eagerly placed the trays of food on the table and bowed down, disappearing once again without a word.

Breakfast that day was uneventful. As Arthur was slowly growing awkward with the displayed affections of the couple, another loud pop resounded in the dining room. Arthur thought it was another house-elf, but when his eyes landed on the newcomer, he colored.

Hermione, with her hair frizzier than normal and her eyes wide with alarm, bounded closer to Harry and Ginny. Arthur wondered if she had seen him and watched as Harry stood up from his seat, equally alarmed.

Arthur never really got the time to talk with Hermione. The brunette was busy, as what Merlin always told him, and the king had the actual right to complain. In fact, he welcomed her business, not really knowing how to interact with her after so long. Coupled with it was the discovery she, too, possessed magic. Arthur would rather observe her from afar than start a conversation with her.

"What is it?" Harry asked, clutching her elbow. "What's wrong, Hermione?"

"Rodolphus Lestrange," she gasped, fear briefly flashing in her eyes. "My Aurors caught him already, Harry, but he escaped. He's currently lurking around England. And I…" She deflated against Harry and sighed. "It's my fault he got away."

Harry drew Hermione into a hug and squeezed her tight. "It's nobody's fault but Lestrange's," he said. "Don't blame yourself."

Hermione sighed and pulled away from him. "Anyway, I came to deliver a message from Shacklebolt," she said. "He requests for a meeting of the Order of the Phoenix. Seeing Grimmauld Place is currently uninhabitable, would it be all right if we use your manor?"

"Of course," Harry stated matter-of-factly. "You didn't have to ask."

Hermione weakly smiled and nodded her head. "I've got to go," she said. "I still need to file a report." Her eyes landed on Ginny and her smile widened a little. And then, that was when she noticed he was in the room. Once her eyes latched onto his form, Arthur froze.

Again, he realized it had been too long.

A strange glint appeared in her eyes and her smile slowly fell. "Sire," she whispered, curtsying. Among all of those who interacted with him, it was only Hermione who actually curtsied. Arthur absentmindedly nodded his head in reply.

Hermione then completely turned away and disappeared. Arthur then released a breath he didn't realize he had been holding.

* * *

_"Do you have any news about your hometown?" Prince Arthur asked, curiously looking at her._

_Hermione knitted her eyebrows and looked up from the rose bush. Her basketful of flowers was momentarily forgotten as she completely looked at the Prince._

_Gaius had been almost successful last night in brewing another reverse potion, but the color of the potion was still not right. Hermione had committed to memory the exact potion, which was protocol before administering a new experimental potion, and knew that Gaius was almost there. She grew excited of the said potion, but she believed it was unwise to rush Gaius, especially because the Court Physician was old and easily exhausted. Hence, she stated it would be best if they brew another one another time, even though it was against her heart._

_"I've heard things," she lied. "Finally, but I'm not sure if returning back immediately is the best of plans."_

_The moonlight might be playing tricks on her because she actually saw Prince Arthur sigh in relief._

_Hermione shook off that thought and returned back to her simple task of gathering flowers._

_Again, the Prince had coincidentally stumbled upon this little courtyard while she was doing her work. Hermione had this inkling his pestering was intentional and believed that perhaps, he really did seek out for her. That thought made her frown, and she did not dwell on it any further._

_The last time she had seen Arthur was during their trip in the village market. They parted with awkward silence, and Hermione wondered if the Prince was already well. She remembered their encounter with Gwen and Lancelot, prompting her to thickly swallow._

_Before she could even stop her annoying tongue, the question rolled out from her tongue. "Um…" she started. It was too late to stop herself because Arthur was now looking at her questioningly. "A-are you quite all right now, sire? I-I mean, the last time I saw you… err… certain events happened back in the market."_

_Arthur strangely looked at her at first, before blinking in understanding. "Oh," he vaguely replied._

_"Heartaches are a nasty thing," Hermione quickly added, busying herself with the flowers. "It might take a while before it heals."_

_"You sound as if you had one before," Arthur pointed out._

_The brunette looked at him and chuckled. "Who doesn't?" she inquired, missing the small frown that appeared on his face. "I've had my fair share of heartaches. Perhaps, the last one was the saddest."_

_She remembered her brief love affair with Ron and smiled. They always thought it was the both of them who would end up together. Hermione fancied herself into thinking that he was the one. But then, some things just didn't really work out between the two of them and mutually, they decided it was better off for them to continue as best friends. Up until now, Hermione never regretted that decision. But then again, sometimes her finished relationship with Ron still saddened her._

_"How come you're… I don't know, happy?" he asked, obviously confused. "How could you have moved on?"_

_Hermione smiled at his confusion and casually shrugged. "I thought that the reason things didn't work out between Ron and me is because he isn't the one yet," she replied. She could be viewed as a practical, rational person, but still, Hermione had been, and would always be, a firm believer of true love, however silly that might sound._

_"I'm still waiting for him… the right one," she continued, her voice now reduced to a soft whisper. "Perhaps, I already saw him; I just don't know it yet."_

_Her eyes landed on him, and she was surprised that he was looking back at her. Arthur was looking at her strangely, and her eyebrows knitted in confusion and wonder. He looked at him, thinking if perhaps… perhaps._

_Hermione's eyes widened, realizing where her trail of thought was going. She abruptly stood up from the bushes and clumsily bowed down, muttering a farewell before striding away._

_She was well aware with the fact that his eyes never left her retreating form and Hermione felt her cheeks coloring with horror._

'No,' _she thought, refusing to acknowledge a sudden feeling blossoming in her heart._ 'No.'

_It can't be._

* * *

Arthur cringed at Merlin's boisterous laughter and decided it was best if he walked out of the Potter Manor. More people were inside, and Merlin being Merlin, busied himself by acquainting with the strangers. The king reckoned most of them were Weasleys, with their signature red hairs and blue eyes, and Merlin seemed to easily become fond of them. Now, they were playing an odd game called 'Gobstones'. They invited him to join, but Arthur politely declined. He'd rather be away from the ruckus.

Today was what they coined as ' _Christmas_ '. They never celebrated an event like this back in Camelot. Harry explained that it was a tradition celebrated by exchanging gifts, singing carols, decorating pine trees and houses, and filling one's stomach with feasts. Arthur still thought the event was odd, but he couldn't deny that the merriment everybody possessed was still infectious.

The second month was slowly coming and they still had not found a way to go home. If Arthur was restless for the first month of their stay, he was slowly growing accustomed with everything that was happening. Although the Potters were still traditionally magical, using magic to their utmost delight, they still used this so-called technology that Arthur believed still greatly resembled magic.

Speaking of magic, he was starting to get comfortable with it. With Merlin serving him with the usage of magic now, he did not flinch nor glare anymore every time somebody conjured a spell in front of him.

Somehow, he thought, this little time travel was actually doing him some good.

Arthur stumbled out of the front door and marvelled at the winter wonderland outside. The whole lot was covered with thick snow and despite the biting cold, Arthur actually thought it was still beautiful.

A sudden shift from beside him startled him and he looked, only to see a bundled up Hermione. She detected his presence, too, for her eyes landed on him and she stiffened.

"Oh… um, better go inside," she murmured, but Arthur cut him off with a humongous sigh.

"Please, do stay," he mumbled back, pocketing his gloved hands. Hermione stopped in her tracks and curiously looked at him. Arthur could feel himself coloring with her gaze, but really this should stop. "Don't you reckon it is starting to get tiring? Avoiding each other seemed painfully futile in the end, Hermione, so I think it is better if we accept the fact that our paths would cross sooner or later."

She blinked at him, surprised at his little outburst, before an uncertain smile bloomed on her face. "Right," she said, walking once more on the spot she had vacated a while ago.

Silence settled between the two of them and Arthur welcomed it. Although things between him and Hermione were still blatantly awkward, Arthur could not deny how his heart hummed with the fact that she was here, and not just a mere dream.

They never properly talked and Arthur only caught a few glimpses of her every time she visited the Potters. She seemed very well, save from a few stressful days regarding her work. Actually, she still looked the same. Nothing much had changed and sometimes, Arthur thought they were back in being the king and the maidservant.

"Um…" she nervously started, breaking the silence. Arthur darted her a quick look, but she refused to meet his eyes. "I-I trust your stay here h-had been well?"

He smiled at her stuttering. It just proved his presence unnerved her, just as her presence unnerved him. "Yes, quite well," he softly answered back, his eyes wandering back at the snow-covered land. "Harry Potter and his wife are very kind."

At the corner of his eyes, he saw Hermione worrying her bottom lip. His face flushed, a sweet memory returning in his mind, and willed himself not to stare.

"I…" She paused, followed by a soft, melodious chuckle. "I-I honestly don't know what to say."

In spite of himself, Arthur smiled. "Me neither," he truthfully replied.

He never readied himself in case he was to see his lost love. He didn't fancy himself into thinking they were to see each other once again. When Hermione said goodbye three years ago, the tears in her eyes were enough proof to him that meeting her again would be an impossible task. He had nursed his broken heart, secretly mourning at night of the days that could have been with her, and truth be told, he never had moved on.

She was the sole reason as to why he could not bring himself to choose a bride and make her his queen. The thought that he would spend an eternity with a person not her was daunting. He might have forsaken his kingdom by refusing to produce an heir, but there were selfish reasons in his heart he couldn't deny and forget.

"You're king," she started. "You're finally the king." Conflicting emotions appeared on her face and she looked at him strangely. "Does that mean King Uther…"

She might have seen the hurt on his face for she stopped. Concern instantly flooded her eyes and Arthur felt his heart skipping a beat.

"Yes," he vaguely replied. His heart clenched with the pain of his father's death and he swallowed a growing lump. "Yes."

Hermione looked at her hands and started worrying her bottom lip again. "Has… has Camelot been well?" she asked, a look of longing flashing in her eyes. Arthur met her gaze and held it for a while, seeing the honesty that she sorely missed Camelot.

For a moment, the battles between Morgana flashed in his mind's eye and he frowned. Hermione was surprised by his answer and fearfully looked back at him.

"Certain events cannot be classified as well," Arthur answered, carefully choosing his words. "But my people are strong. Whatever tragedies befell upon them, sooner or later, they would achieve the state of wellness."

He smiled at the memory of his people. Arthur dearly loved them and undeniably, he missed his knights and his people.

"Have you been well, Arthur?" she softly asked, surprising him.

He met her eyes and saw a strange look in there. Arthur was about to answer the first thing that came into his mind, but he stopped himself. There was something in her eyes, something that tugged his heart, that prompted him to speak the truth and nothing else.

"No," he whispered, a forlorn smile appearing on his face. "I haven't."

She was surprised with his answer. For a moment, her eyes turned glassy and she looked like she was about to retort something back. But then, two loud pops from a distance reached their ears. Hermione and Arthur whipped around to see two people, one redhead man and the other a raven-haired woman, bounding towards the manor.

"Hermione!" the dark-haired lady shrieked, making a mad dash towards the brunette before throwing her arms around her. "Oh, I haven't seen you in such a long time."

The brunette snapped out from her surprised stupor and chuckled against the woman. "Pansy," she greeted, hugging her back. "It's good to see you."

"Sorry about that, Hermione," the redhead sheepishly said. "She could be awfully excited, yeah?"

The woman, Pansy, elbowed the man's stomach, much to Arthur's amusement.

"Is everybody inside now?" he asked, his blue eyes peering at the windows.

 _'Red head and blue eyes,'_ Arthur thought with amusement. _'Definitely, another Weasley.'_

"I think so," Hermione said. "They've been waiting for both of you for ages."

"Oh, you know, wedding plans and all," Pansy flippantly said, waving her perfectly manicured hand. "We better get going then. My fiance's famished."

The redhead sheepishly grinned and blushed. His gaze then landed on Arthur and his blue eyes widened. "Blimey, so it's really true," Ron said, averting his eyes away from him back to Hermione. "When you and Harry told me King Arthur and Merlin are here in the manor, I thought both of you had just gotten barmy from work."

Hermione uncertainly smiled and darted a look in Arthur's way. "Lo and behold," Hermione merely stated, weakly gesturing at Arthur.

To Arthur's amusement, Pansy curtsied. "Sire," she politely said, complete with a pretty smile. Nobody curtsies to him in this world, save from Hermione sometimes. But that was because she used to be a maidservant to him before.

"Hello," he said, tilting his head in acknowledgement.

"Blimey," the redhead repeated once again. " _Blimey_."

"All right, all right, we've already established the fact you're astonished," Pansy chuckled, fondly tiptoeing to place a brief kiss on the man's cheek. "But I think it is better if we go inside now. Pansy Parkinson here is itching to meet the legendary Merlin himself."

Pansy linked arms with the redhead and pulled him inside.

"Are you coming, Hermione?" he asked.

"Coming, Ron," the brunette said.

Arthur's eyes widened at the name. _'Ron?'_ he asked, curiously looking until the couple disappeared. Hermione looked back at him and upon seeing the surprise on his face, she lifted an eyebrow. "Ron?" Arthur voiced aloud, still in disbelief. "Wasn't he the man who broke your heart?"

Her jaw slightly dropped. "You remember that?" she inquired, blinking rapidly.

The king licked his lips and looked away from her. "My memory of three years ago still runs vividly in my mind, Hermione," he answered. At the corner of his eyes, he saw how she flushed a deep shade of red.

"Y-yes, Ron," she stuttered, clearing her throat. "Our, err… relationship is in the past. But we're still the best of friends."

Arthur released a noncommittal sound at the back of his throat, at lose of what to say or do.

It relieved him immensely when Harry's head popped out, asking them to come inside.

Hermione quickly clambered back, with Arthur trailing behind her. Before she could completely step inside, the brunette turned around. For a moment, her eyes filled with warmth as she gazed back at him. Arthur found his breath hitching with emotions, but he patiently waited.

"Merry Christmas, Arthur," she whispered, completing her greeting with a disarming smile.

Arthur blinked, before allowing a smile of his own to grow on his face.

"Merry Christmas, Hermione."


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Old feelings are rekindled and Hermione is having none of it.

_"Watch out!" Merlin cried as he rushed forward and pushed her away. Hermione, stunned, fell flat on the floor. The manservant also fell beside her, stifled chuckles escaping from his mouth._

_"W-what?" Hermione asked, disoriented. She looked at the place where she was standing a while ago, only to see a large suit of armor now occupying her spot._

_Merlin heaved himself up and helped Hermione on her feet. "You could have injured yourself, you know," he said, gently grabbing the basketful of ingredients she was carrying on her way back to Gaius' bedchambers. "What are you thinking about?"_

_She shot him a quick look and flushed scarlet. The panic she had been feeling just before the small disturbance came back to her full-force, and judging from Merlin's surprise, it showed on her face._

_Two days had passed ever since she last saw Prince Arthur Pendragon. From what Merlin yammered on, the prince seemed to have isolated himself in his bedchambers, refusing to go out even if summoned by the king. During those two days of solitude, Hermione ended up with a startling conclusion._

_She believed that she might now be in love with Arthur Pendragon._

_It was sudden, and she knew it. She thought it was merely a passing fancy, but still, she grew feelings for the prince of an ancient kingdom… a place where she did not belong at all._

_Those two days were filled with horrifying thoughts for the brunette, her emotions overwhelming her very heart. Poor her, she had no one to confide with, and she was afraid she would be mercilessly condemned for falling in love with a person she could never be with._

_Tears gathered at the corner of her eyes and Merlin, absolutely astonished, grabbed her elbow and peered closely at her face. "Hermione?" he whispered. "What's wrong?"_

_Looking at his concerned-filled face broke any resolve she had left. Loud, guttural sobs escaped from her mouth and she cried her heart out. She knew nothing was supposed to happen between her and Arthur. She belonged to her own world and Camelot needed him. It didn't help that her heart already broke into two even before the inevitable rejection was voiced out._

* * *

Hermione made her last farewells to her colleagues, before strolling towards the Floo network. She intended to visit the Potters today, especially because Harry promised to listen to her about the information her aurors had gathered about the whereabouts of Rodolphus Lestrange.

The dying days of January had come into an end and now, it was the start of fresh February. Despite the new month, Hermione was still quite stressed with her work. As what she had predicted, Lestrange's escape posed a great threat to Great Britain. There were numerous attacks, which they all thought was Lestrange's doing.

He was a cunning fellow, much to her disgruntlement. Sometimes, she would think they almost got him, but Rodolphus Lestrange would suddenly disappear without leaving a trace.

Hermione had never felt so disappointed with herself and she knew that her heart would only be at peace once they caught Lestrange.

She shook those thoughts away first as she threw a handful of floo into the fireplace. Once an emerald fire roared, Hermione stepped inside and exclaimed Harry's address.

As soon as she arrived, she stumbled out. She brushed away the soot on her shoulders and magicked them away.

Hermione scanned the receiving area and frowned. Harry actually expected her and normally, he would be standing in the receiving area, waiting for her. Seeing that he was gone made her suspicious.

"Harry?" she exclaimed, searching around. "Ginny?"

It confused her when nobody answered.

Hermione perused the whole manor, cursing Harry's fortune for purchasing such a humongous house. And to think it only housed him and Ginny!

She finally arrived at the kitchen and she could hear strange noises inside. At this time of the day, the kitchen was supposed to be empty since the house-elves that serve Harry and Ginny were back in Hogwarts, doing their other tasks.

Cautiously, she pulled out her wand and stepped inside. A scrumptious scent teased her nose and she frowned.

Hermione immediately ran inside and shouted a spell. King Arthur, who turned out to be the intruder who had been making noises inside the kitchen, ducked out of instincts. Hermione's spell whizzed past the top of his head and hit the wall behind him. A rather large dent appeared on the wall and Arthur, shakily, stared at it in surprise.

"Oh… oh _blast_ ," Hermione said, quickly striding towards the stunned king. "I-I'm sorry! I didn't know it was you."

Arthur blinked his large eyes and looked at Hermione. "Err…" he said, still stunned. Hermione had a perfect idea he might be imagining what would have happened to him if he did not duck on time. 

Much to her horror, giggles escaped from her lips. Arthur's eyes widened at the sound and she, embarrassed, raised up her hand and stifled the awful sounds.

"You… you could have killed me," Arthur growled, pointing at the wall behind him. "How dare you laugh?"

Hermione grinned, unfazed. She lifted her wand once again and Arthur actually looked frightened. Raising an eyebrow at him, she waved her wand and the wall behind him was as good as new.

The king sighed and shook his head, muttering things under his breath.

"Where are the others?" she asked, looking around. Her eyes landed on the small table separating her from Arthur. "Are you… are you _cooking_?"

"Don't act so surprised, Hermione," Arthur said, lightly glaring at her direction. "Without anything to do here in this manor, I asked Merlin and some of the house-elves to teach me how to prepare one." He gestured at the plate of food on the table. "Would you like some?"

"Is it edible?" she asked, prompting him to glare. Hermione broke into a small grin and nodded. "Well, in that case, I would like to have some, please."

Arthur nodded his head while Hermione comfortably settled herself on one of the chairs. While the king continued preparing their small snack, Hermione processed what had happened between the two of them. To her surprise, they actually had a decent, not-awkward conversation back then. It helped that, _well_ , she almost killed him, but nonetheless, it was a decent conversation.

"Where are the others?" Hermione asked once again.

"Harry took Merlin in a Quidditch match," Arthur said, making a face. "Normally, I would have loved to watch one, but I'm not really that interested." He finally brought the two plates of spaghetti towards Hermione and placed one plate in front of her. "Ginny is with Healer Weasley. Something about her pregnancy, I think."

Hermione nodded her head in reply.

As Arthur settled himself beside her, they both busied themselves by eating their spaghetti. Hermione then was suddenly very much aware that she was alone with him, and the awkwardness in the atmosphere was felt again.

"How was work today?" Arthur casually asked, breaking the silence. He had no idea how his question brought silent relief to the brunette.

She answered his question and they exchanged stories. Most of their conversation revolved around Arthur's misadventures regarding the advancement of technology in this world.

Before they knew it, it was nearing twilight and Hermione must admit she had enjoyed this day.

He was just finishing a narration about Merlin and his unfortunate encounter with an oven toaster. Hermione, with a small smile on her face, looked down on the table and listened intently to his story. That was when she noticed that her hand was a hairsbreadth away from Arthur's, and he did not even realize it.

Hermione felt her cheeks coloring at their close proximity. She was suddenly very aware of him and only him, and she found herself unable to properly breathe.

Images of her stay back in Camelot came rushing into her, even if she mercilessly pushed them back away. Despite Arthur being here, in her own world, it did not mean that things had changed between the two of them. Arthur was, and would always be, the man that could never be with her.

Before she could even come up with a silly excuse and scamper away, his pinky touched hers, and the familiar electricity jolted all throughout the nerves in her body. Arthur's voice died down in the background as the only thing loud enough for her to hear was her blood pumping.

Slowly, ever so slowly, Arthur's hand shifted and was now resting comfortably on top of Hermione's.

She directed her wide eyes onto his face, now realizing that he had stopped talking. She searched his face intently, especially his eyes, and could see a myriad of emotions.

Tears pricked at the corner of her eyes, but she was frozen to pull away. His hand by now tightly clenched her own. She tried pulling away, but he held onto her hand more tightly.

"Arthur," she softly said, a tear rolling down on her cheek. "This isn't - "

He cut her off by swooping down and giving her a kiss. She reacted immediately by pushing his chest away. His eyes were ablaze with a fiery passion Hermione had sorely missed.

"No," she said, vigorously shaking her head. Her curls flew around her face and she tried to pull away once more. "No, Arthur. You know we can't."

A bitter chuckle escaped from his lips and he closed his eyes. "Three years, Hermione," he brokenly whispered. "Three _blasted_ years." He slowly opened his eyes and Hermione could clearly see the pain he was feeling. "It had been too long. Just for now… _please_."

Her mind was whirling with a million thoughts. Her everything screamed for her to refuse, to run away and hide. But her heart, her blasted heart, was begging her to agree. After all, he was right. It had been too long.

Arthur then slowly lifted his hand and brushed her tears away. Hermione painfully closed her eyes and marvelled his touch. He was gentle, and sweet, and he was still everything that Hermione had ever wanted.

"Hermione," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. The brunette slowly opened her eyes and looked straight into his eyes. "I still love you."

Before she could even react to his confession, Arthur swooped down and captured her lips. This time, she did not pull away. She kissed him back with equal fervor, her fingers now entangled into his glorious hair. He pulled her flush against his chest and kissed her more deeply and Hermione could already feel her knees weakening with the intensity.

It had ended too soon and Arthur had completely pulled away from her. She did not dare open her eyes in case of breaking down. She could hear Arthur's fading footsteps and by the time she knew she was alone, she opened her eyes and let her tears fall.

* * *

_He was here, right beside her, when all she wanted to do right now was to run away from him. He said he had some business to do here in the Darkling Woods, but then again, it was starting to be routine for the two. Hermione thought she finally had her own alone time, but Arthur would suddenly appear and make up a perfectly crafted lie._

_Hermione sighed and she knew she could never get rid of him. Not when Gaius still had not perfected the reverse potion. She tried to ignore Merlin's worried looks and acted like her little breakdown back then had not happened at all. The brunette collected herself and swore to herself that she would act normally, especially if she was around the Prince. It wouldn't do her some good if Arthur started to get suspicious of the feelings she now harboured for him._

_The brunette shot a quick look at the prince and frowned. She thought he was being awfully quiet. Normally, he would have yammered on and on about his adventures with his knights and Merlin. "Is something the matter?" she softly asked._

_Arthur briefly looked at her, an unreadable expression on his face. He seemed to very much want to reply, but no words escaped from his mouth. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, making Hermione believe that something was actually wrong._

_"Hey," she said, tapping him on his arm. "You're not exactly looking good, sire. Maybe it is best if you go back t – AHHH!"_

_Such was her concentration on asking him, she did not notice a protruding rock. Hermione thought she would have fallen completely on the bumpy, forest floor and injure herself, but to her utmost relief, Arthur's reflex did not fail him, for his arm was now snaked around her waist._

_"Are you quite all right?" Arthur asked, worriedly peering down her face._

_Hermione was very much aware how his arm tightened around her. Her cheeks turned into a faint shade of pink and she forced out a shaky chuckle from her mouth. "I-I'm sorry, that was terribly clumsy of me," she stumbled. "But thank you, your highness, you can let me go now."_

_It surprised her he still had not let go. Slowly, she lifted her face to questioningly look at Arthur, but then, it was too late when she realized it was a bad idea._

_They were too close for her own liking, but Hermione could not do anything about it. She was trapped between his arms. Her cheeks grew hotter under his intense gaze, and she silently swallowed._

_"I…" she whispered, her eyes unwittingly travelling to his pink lips. The dormant desire in her heart reawakened and slowly, Arthur's head neared hers. Her eyes gradually closed and she could now feel his nose brushing gently against hers, and his soft breath fanning her face._

_"I…" she repeated once again, now panicking. She crumpled his sleeves and swallowed. "I d-don't belong here."_

_Hermione immediately pushed away from him and took a few steps back. She could see the disappointment and surprise in his eyes. She started wringing her wrists and anxiously looked at him. "I don't belong here," she whispered once more, her eyes filling with tears._

_Never could they be together._

_She then shot past him and did not glance back. As she trudged back into Camelot, Hermione allowed her tears to fall._

* * *

She had avoided him, at all cost, and she was thankful he respected the solitude she silently requested. Hermione was thankful nobody seemed to notice the sudden tension between her and Arthur. It seemed like everybody was too busy with their own lives. Well, except Merlin, since he constantly darted questioning looks their way.

Hermione took a deep breath and trudged out of the ministry. Once again, Kingsley requested for an Order of the Phoneix meeting in the Potter Manor. There were rumors that Rodolphus Lestrange had been spotted in Hogwarts, posing a threat in the said school. Headmistress McGonagall implemented stricter rules to protect the students. Hermione and Minister Shacklebolt already discussed a few things about sending aurors into Hogwarts, but they still both agreed it was best if they discussed it with the Order.

As Hermione arrived in the Potter Manor, she was surprised to see that the normally early members were absent.

"Hermione," a relieved Harry said, clambering towards her. "I was worried something bad already happened to you."

"What's happening?" she asked, confusedly looking around. "Where are the others?"

Harry grimly shook his head. "There was a sudden attack in the ministry," he replied.

"The ministry?" Hermione asked, her eyes widening. "But I've just been there!"

"Minister Shacklebolt said that a few minutes after you left, the ministry was attacked," The-Boy-Who-Lived explained. "We have speculations it was a group of rogue Death Eaters, headed by Lestrange."

The brunette grew alarmed. "We have to help," she said, but Harry tightly clutched her arm to stop her from apparating.

"No," Harry said. "You have to stay here. Kingsley reckons they are targeting you, so it will be dangerous for you to walk into the ministry."

Hermione scowled. "I'm the Head Auror," she replied back. "I have certain responsibilities, and that includes capturing Lestrange and his men."

Her best friend vigorously shook his head. "Kingsley agrees with me," he desperately answered. "You have to stay here. We both suspect Lestrange had gained enough power. If he discovers you are in the ministry, he'd instantly target you."

"But Harry - "

"My decision is final," The-Boy-Who-Lived firmly replied. "I already told Merlin of our situation. If you attempt to run away, Merlin will zap you back without any second thoughts. You hear me?"

Hermione's scowl darkened.

"Hermione," Harry said.

"Fine," the brunette spat, glaring at her friend.

Harry deflated at her resignation. To her surprise, he drew her into a tight hug and squeezed her tight. "This is for your safety, Hermione. Stop scowling."

Hermione sagged against Harry and tightly hugged him back. "Be careful," she said, placing a quick kiss on his cheek. "Merlin knows how much danger you will be confronted with later."

He snorted, much to her surprise. "Merlin doesn't know anything," he cajoled, picturing the clumsy, gangly manservant in his mind.

In spite of herself, she smiled. Harry then pulled away from her and apparated.

Hermione spent the whole day worrying herself sick. According to Merlin, Ginny went to the Burrow to protect herself and her child. Hence, only she, Merlin, and Arthur were in the Potter Manor.

"Hermione, come now, there's no need to constantly pace," an agitated Merlin told her a few hours later, warily watching her pace back and forth. They were both lounging in the living room, waiting for some news or at least a message. Night was drawing near and still, she had no idea what was happening back in the ministry.

Feeling suddenly stuffy inside the room, Hermione turned around and stormed away.

"Where are you going?" Merlin called, standing up in alarm.

"Just outside, Merlin," she shot back. "I won't slip away from you, I promise."

"Do you swear on Gaius' library?" he asked, innocently smiling. Hermione scowled at him. He knew how much she adored Gaius' little collection of books.

Sighing, she grumbled, "I swear on Gaius' library."

Merlin nodded and made shooing noises. "I'll be watching you, Hermione," he warned, a serious glint in his eyes. "Do try anything funny, or Harry Potter will have both of our heads."

Hermione nodded and walked outside, welcoming the cool breeze that caressed her cheeks. This was what she needed, some fresh air to calm herself down.

As she meandered through the small garden of the Potters, she wondered once again what could have possibly happened back in the ministry. It infuriated her that Rodolphus Lestrange was trying so hard to give off the same fear that Voldemort had inflicted on the hearts and minds of the people of the Wizarding World. He was barmy, as barmy as his deceased wife. Hermione knew for a demented man to wreak havoc all over her world would be much more dangerous than an evil wizard with a rational mind.

 _'They'll be all right,'_ she said, nervously wringing her wrist. _'They'll be all right.'_

A sudden figure from afar caught her vision and she instantly pulled out her wand. She tightened her hold on it as she slowly moved closer, only to see that it was King Arthur. Apparently, it wasn't only her who needed fresh air on this tensed night.

"Will you try to successfully blast a hole on my face this time, Hermione?" Arthur asked, surprising her. His back was facing away from her and she was astonished he detected her presence. As he slowly turned around to face her, Hermione tensed, remembering how things had been awkward between the two of them for the past few days.

"Are you going to run away?" he softly asked, a strange glint shining in his beautiful eyes.

Hermione clenched her jaw. "Will you stop me?" she retorted back, warily gazing at the determination in his stance.

Arthur stared at her for a while before stepping forward. Hermione, with a jolt, stepped back. "Hermione…" he called, outstretching his hand.

She vigorously shook her head, her wariness heightening. "Arthur, please, now isn't the right time," she said, nervously tucking a stray curl behind her ear. "There are far more important things to think about right now." She pointedly looked at him when he opened his mouth. "Please, don't be selfish right now."

He looked at her in surprise, her words ringing in his ears. A disbelieving snort then escaped from his lips and he wryly looked back at Hermione. "If now isn't the right time, then when is?" he retorted back, his mouth slowly magnetizing into a frown. "Hermione, I only have a few weeks left before the Feast of Beltane arrives. Don't you think it is best if we settle this… this whatever that is happening between us?"

Now, Hermione felt a little furious. Here was she, worrying herself sick for the welfare of her friends in the ministry, but this… this infuriating clotpole who calls himself a king was trying to ask her to settle whatever problems they were having. 

"I don't have time for this," she said, whirling around to stomp away. But Arthur tightly clutched her arm, trapping her in place. "Arthur, _please_."

"Hermione, please," he replied, his eyes filling with emotions. "It's been days. I respected your request of solitude, but don't you think it is a little unfair in my part?"

Enraged, Hermione whipped her head at him. "What is left to talk about?" she growled. "We've settled this back in Camelot, Arthur. You and me" – she furiously gestured at the space between them – "can never, _ever_ happen. You belong to Camelot, I belong here. We are from two different worlds. Isn't that enough answer to all the questions that run inside your head?"

He shook at her outburst, unwittingly tightening his hold on her arm. When Hermione flinched, Arthur's eyes widened a little, and he then decided to pull away.

"You once said that if two people are destined to be together, whatever obstacle they may face in the future, inevitably, they'd still end up together," he whispered.

Something painful clenched her heart and she took a sharp intake of breath. "I wasn't talking about you and me," she said, trying her very hardest to blink back her tears. "I was talking about you and Guinevere, the woman you are supposed to marry."

"Guinevere?" Arthur asked in an enraged confusion. "I do not harbour anymore feelings for Guinevere. Guinevere is already married to Lancelot, and had been expecting a child for a few months now."

Her eyes widened at his revelation. "G-Guinevere and Lancelot?" she asked in a breathless stupor. Hermione suddenly felt dizzy and she took a step back, disbelieving. "I-It can't be. You are supposed to end up marrying Gwen."

"I do not love her," Arthur firmly replied. He took a few steps forward and caught Hermione's hands. "I love you. After all this years, you still lived in my heart. Why don't you believe me? I thought I was merely fancying myself with the idea of falling in love with you, especially after Gwen broke my heart. But no." He tightly squeezed her hands and looked intently into her eyes. "No, Hermione, I still love you."

Tears filled her eyes and she vigorously shook her head. "Why are you making this so, so difficult?" she said, weakly pushing him away. "We cannot be together, Arthur."

He was ready to retort something back. His face had already contorted in an enraged sneer, but when a small tear fell slowly down from her eye, all feelings of rage left his body. Arthur sagged down, his shoulders slumping in a defeated stance.

Shakily, he ran a hand through his hair and Hermione discreetly wiped her tears away.

"It wasn't my intention to make you cry today, forgive me," he whispered back, a forlorn smile appearing on his face. She was surprised with his apology, her gaze returning back to his face. When he caught her shining eyes, his eyes once again flashed with the pain he was feeling. "I'm sorry, Hermione."

Arthur then slightly bowed down and left her without a word. Dumbfounded, Hermione was left staring at his retreating back. Her tears continuously fell, her mind still reeling with the conversation they had a while ago.

"Trouble in paradise, dearie?"

Hermione's eyes widened. She knew that voice.

Hastily, she whipped around, her mouth ajar. "You," she gasped, wayward tears now landing noiselessly on the fabric of her sweater.

"Hello, Hermione Granger," Rodolphus Lestrange, giving her a mock bow. Hermione quickly pulled out her wand, but the rogue Death Eater was fast. Before she could even mutter a spell, she was already knocked off onto the ground.

* * *

_"Merlin, how many times do I have to tell you I don't want to eat?" Arthur grumbled, his voice muffled by the pillow. "You annoying manservant. I don't even know why I put up with you."_

_Hermione pursed her lips, the corner of her lips lifting in a small smile. Just a while ago, Merlin came bustling into Gaius' bedchambers, annoyed that again, his master had refused any nourishment he offered. The young warlock was absolutely baffled by Arthur's sudden change of attitude, but Hermione, remembering the event that had happened between the two of them, perfectly knew the reason for Arthur's brooding._

"I'll send him another tray, Merlin," _she volunteered. Merlin, confused, merely allowed her to do so. Hermione was thankful there were no questions asked; she might back out even before delivering the said tray to the prince's bedchamber._

_"Will you send him to the stocks again?" she softly asked. Her voice was like magic, for Arthur suddenly sat up straight on his bed. He directed his wide eyes at her direction, disbelief clearly etched on his face, and that was when Hermione saw how terrible he looked._

_"What are you doing here?" Arthur asked, before flustering red and looking away._

_Truth be told, Hermione actually expected she would be back to avoiding him. It was always the easiest thing to do, especially now because Gaius voiced out the fact that he was starting to perfect the reverse potion. But then, she thought it wouldn't be fair to Arthur. Yesterday already spoke volumes of the feelings the prince held for her and Hermione, not wanting him to mercilessly think of ideas as to why she ran away, wanted to relieve him from his misery. And her misery, perhaps. She had this feeling she would leave soon and whatever was happening between her and the prince must be settled once and for all._

_"Merlin told me you refuse to eat," she said, lifting the food tray and offering it to him. "As the future King of Camelot, you must take care of yourself, sire."_

_He looked at her strangely for a while, before clutching the tray away from her hands. For a moment, their fingers brushed and Hermione flinched; she couldn't deny the jolt of electricity she had felt just now._

_Arthur silently ate his bread and Hermione wondered if she were to leave now. But then, the prince suddenly spoke, and Hermione took a deep breath. "Yesterday…" he started, refusing to meet her eyes. "Why did you leave?"_

_She nervously looked down at him and silently cleared her throat. "I-It wasn't right," she reasoned out. "You're… a prince and I am just a mere servant."_

_A disbelieving laugh escaped from his lips, surprising Hermione. "If that is what's bothering you, then you obviously do not know me," he replied. The prince expelled a soft sigh and beseechingly continued. "Hermione, I used to love Gwen, remember? And she's a maidservant like you. Do you honestly think I care about statuses when I fall in love?"_

_He was implying his feelings for her, and Hermione suddenly felt light-headed. "N-no, it isn't right," she interjected, shaking her head. "You and Guinevere… you are destined to be together."_

_A dark scowl appeared on his face. "How can you say that? I've already accepted that she loves Lancelot. I…" His words died down and Hermione, curious, looked back into his eyes. There was a hard glint in his eyes, prompting her heart to skip a beat. "I love you."_

_Her eyes widened, disbelieving._ 'No, no, no,' _she kept telling herself, shaking her head vigorously. "You don't know me at all," she whispered, laughing mirthlessly. "How can you say you love me, Arthur?"_

_"Then let me know you," he whispered, stretching out his hand to reach her own. Once his warm hand enclosed around her small one, Hermione did not have the heart to pull away. He looked earnest and sincere, and the emotions swirling in his beautiful eyes brought tears in her own eyes. "I want to know you, Hermione. Then perhaps, I'd be able to properly understand what feelings I have for you."_

_She sniffed and sadly smiled. "I'm not worth it," she whispered as a small tear trailed down on her cheek. "I… I don't belong here, sire. Soon, I will leave and I don't think I'm ever going back."_

_He blanched and she thought he might have given up all together because of the words she had uttered. But then, to her surprise, he gently smiled at her. "Then… then allow me to spend your remaining time here in Camelot with you."_

_She actually planned to trudge into his bedchamber, prevent him from further going into this madness, but he was just so… so… "Why must you be so difficult?" she asked, releasing a watery chuckle. She closed her eyes and tightly held his hand. "I… I-I tried my best to avoid you because this is wrong. I just…" Hermione felt very tired. "I don't think I can avoid you anymore."_

_A large grin blossomed on his face and she returned it with a shy smile of her own. Arthur then slowly lifted his hand and daintily wiped away the tears that still fell from her eyes._

_Inside her heart, Hermione knew she had just signed herself to an inevitable heartbreak. But what must she do?_

_She just wanted to stay by his side for the rest of the days._

* * *

"She's well."

Arthur lifted his eyes from his untouched plate of food and looked at his manservant. Merlin was looking at him worriedly, a small, sad smile completing his look. The king, unable to help himself, glared darkly at him and went back to staring at his plate.

Three days ago, a trying event had happened in the Potter Manor. While Harry and the others were busy defending the ministry from the rogue Death Eaters, nobody predicted that the attack was merely a ploy so that Rodolphus Lestrange could attack a defenseless Hermione Granger in the Potter Manor.

It was Merlin who found the injured brunette, who was almost in the brink of death. After Arthur stormed back inside the manor after their confrontation, Merlin worriedly asked him where Hermione was. Arthur, too distressed from his talk with Hermione, merely stayed silent.

Somehow, this had alarmed the young warlock for he shot out of the manor to search for Hermione. It took a full minute before Arthur heard a loud bang and alarmed, he drew out Excalibur and ran outside. The scene outside had sank his heart, for Merlin was running quickly back, the mangled body of Hermione Granger nursed close to his chest.

They immediately called for Harry and the minister. The attack in the ministry had been stopped and controlled, and The-Boy-who-Lived and Kingsley immediately apparated back to the manor after receiving Merlin's distress call.

Harry acted quickly upon seeing the state of Hermione. He Floo-ed Luna, who did not fail them all and arrived immediately. For the whole, long night, everybody waited outside as Luna healed Hermione's wound.

Hours ticked by, and they were starting to get restless. Arthur took it upon himself to claim the blame, furiously stating it was his fault he left Hermione in such a vulnerable state.

"It's nobody's fault," Harry gravely murmured. "It was nobody's fault but Rodolphus Lestrange's."

The said Death Eater was blasted to his death by Merlin. The young manservant narrated that when he arrived, Lestrange was about to exclaim the Killing Curse. It was fortunate he arrived just in time to save Hermione.

A few more hours passed by and soon, Luna emerged from Hermione's room.

"She's well," she told them all, perspiration shining brightly on her forehead. A relieved smile stretched widely on her face. "She's well, but she needs some rest. I'm not quite sure she will wake up immediately, though. All we need to do is to wait."

Thus, for three, painstaking days, everybody waited with bated breath until Hermione showed signs of consciousness. It was mostly Ginny and Luna who visited Hermione. The men had other matters to do in the ministry, but that did not exactly mean they do not care about Hermione's whereabouts anymore. Often, Harry and Kingsley would visit just to check up on Hermione.

Merlin wanted to be off service to the others and so, Kingsley allowed him to tag along every time they were to go to the ministry. Nobody still knew who the mysterious, blue-eyed sorcerer was, and they were all thankful for that. With the ruckus regarding the rogue Death Eaters still terrifying the people of the Wizarding World, they all believed it wouldn't do any of them some good if they discovered the legendary Merlin himself was brought forward into their present.

"Arthur?" Merlin asked, peering worriedly at his master.

Arthur expelled a soft sigh. "I am well, Merlin, thank you," he murmured in exhaustion.

Silence ensued between the two of them, before Merlin broke it with a soft sigh.

"She asks for you, you know," Merlin said, a sad smile on his face. "She knew you bore the guilt of being the reason why she was harmed in the first place."

The king made a face. "Clever girl," he said through gritted teeth.

Merlin, exasperated, rolled his eyes. "I think it will do you some good if you visit her today, Arthur," he said, once again staring at him worriedly. "Among all of the people living here in the Potter Manor, I think it is her who is the best candidate to drill in that thick head of yours that it wasn't your fault."

"You have no right to talk to me like that," Arthur snarled, his eyes blazing with fury. "I am your king and you should show some respect."

The manservant was surprisingly unfazed. "That title of yours tires you so, doesn't it?" he asked, unknowing that his conclusion had greatly impacted Arthur. "Try being Arthur most of the time, sire. I've never seen you happiest when you do."

Merlin then proceeded to stand up and bowed his head in respect. He then grabbed both of their plates and walked towards the sink to wash them clean.

Arthur, at loss of what to do, sat frozen on his seat. Sometimes, he wondered as to where Merlin got all of those wise words he surprisingly claimed whenever Arthur needed an advice the most.

What he spoke was true – he was tired of becoming a king. Being one required him to push away all selfish thoughts from his mind and although it was a very noble thing to do, Arthur was starting to reach his limit. One reason why he couldn't bring himself to visit Hermione was because… well, he was starting to train himself to accept the fact that she was right and had always been – they couldn't be together.

But his heart, oh his heart, had been screaming for him to visit her at least once. He wanted to ease the guilt, to see that she was still well, but his title as king was stopping him. There was one more month to go before the Feast of Beltane and soon, he would be back to Camelot.

The prospect of not seeing her again broke his heart all over again. He had thought of her every day, every night, and she had consumed his dream for the following years after she left. This… this was a dream come true and Arthur knew that until he returned, he should marvel every day in Hermione's presence.

This thought had brought him on his feet, purposefully stomping towards the room where Hermione temporarily stayed. Unbeknown to him, Merlin was staring at Arthur's back with a small smile on his face, before returning back to his task.

Once Arthur arrived in front of her door, he lifted his fist and knocked softly. He waited for a few minutes, but nobody replied. Thinking Hermione was still sleeping, Arthur opened the door and peeked inside. Hermione was very much awake, her eyes staring distantly at the window inside her small room. She was bandaged pretty much in every part of her body, but nonetheless, she was well.

"I was starting to think you will not visit me," she said, startling him. Slowly, she looked at his stunned form, and smiled. "Hello, Arthur."

Arthur swallowed, not really knowing what to say. Uncertainly, he strode forward, his eyes never leaving Hermione's form.

"H-how are you?" he rasped out, awkwardly standing beside her bed.

"A little sore all over, but I'm quite well," she answered back, standing from her chair. She strode closer to her bed, too, and cautiously returned his gaze. "You look terrible, sire."

A soft snort escaped from his lips. "I can say the same to you, Hermione," he said, prompting her to smile once again.

For a moment, she merely stared back at him and Arthur allowed the silence to befall upon them.

"Arthur," she started, breaking the silence, "it wasn't your fault."

He felt his hands clenching into tight fists. "How, pray tell, can you not blame me at all?" he harshly snapped, his eyes dangerously narrowing. "I was the last person with you, Hermione. If I hadn't… If I hadn't…" His voice died down and he shakily looked away from her. To his horror, he could feel his cheeks coloring. "Gods," he murmured, closing his eyes. "Gods, you could have died." He opened his eyes and imploringly looked back at Hermione. "I could have protected you."

Hermione's eyes softened, and the beautiful smile never left her face. "The way you are acting doesn't make me blame you at all, sire," she softly said, outstretching her arm to reach for him. Her vast bed separated the two of them, but she did not seem to mind. Her fingertips brushed against his arm.

"W-when I saw you in Merlin's arms, I thought - " He thickly swallowed a forming lump in his throat. Absentminded, he lifted his own hand and tightly grasped Hermione's hand. "I am a man of pride, Hermione," he whispered. "But on that day, I believed it was the first time I felt very afraid. I thought I would never be able to see you again."

Her eyes shone with tears, but no words left her mouth.

"You said we can never be together," he continued, his eyes boring into hers. "And I know… I know, even if that simple thought already kills me inside." He squeezed her hand and brought it against his cheek. "I only have a month left, Hermione, and then we're back to who we truly are. For now, can't we… can't we be just Arthur and Hermione?"

"This will break both of our hearts," she truthfully said, tears now streaming down from her face.

A mirthless chuckle escaped from her lips. "I know," he said, nodding his head for confirmation. "But, wouldn't it be nice if we make more memories together so that we have something to reminisce about when we miss each other?"

She shakily laughed at his statement. "Three years had passed, Arthur Pendragon, but you still are a stubborn man," she said.

Arthur smiled and kissed her knuckles. He knew things would end bitterly between the two of them, but somehow, he still wanted to spend his remaining stay here in the future with her and only her.

* * *

_Hermione bit her bottom lip, trying to stifle a goofy smile that was threatening to form. On her right hand, she clutched the small basket where most of the ingredients she gathered in the Darkling Woods lay. Cringing, she could already predict a long sermon from the head cook, seeing that she wasn't able to gather all of the ingredients. But then, anything remotely negative seemed to dissipate into thin air as Hermione once again relieved the very first kiss she shared with Prince Arthur Pendragon._

_It was, for lack of a better word, magical. She might be acting like a silly, schoolgirl for all she care, but Hermione felt magnificent and nothing, not even a band of stampeding hippogriffs, could dampen the wonderful mood she currently was in._

_"Hermione!"_

_She was snapped off from her dreamy stupor as she turned around. Her eyebrows rose as a frantic, yet perfectly excited Merlin, came dashing towards her. His hair was in a disarray, but his handsome blue eyes twinkled with merriment. It was hard not to smile back at the ridiculously adorable manservant._

_"What has gotten you in a good mood?" Hermione asked, allowing Merlin to clutch her elbow and drag her somewhere only he knew. It looked like it wasn't only her who had her spirits up today._

_"It's Gaius," he gushed out, his excitement heightening. "I was with him a while ago, helping him with brewing the reverse potion." Before he could even finish his statement, Hermione could already feel her heart sinking. Now, she took back the thoughts that had ran through her mind a while. Nothing could dampen the wonderful mood she currently was in, except this._

_"Gaius believes he already brewed the proper potion," Merlin said, his boyish grin stretching widely. It reached his adorable ears and Hermione merely smiled back with a small nod. She did not trust herself to speak._

_They finally arrived, and Merlin eagerly opened the door with the bang. The poor Court Physician almost had a heart attack with the noise, and as he witheringly glared at his mentee, Merlin only smiled back sheepishly._

_"Sorry about that," the manservant said, lightly pushing Hermione closer to Gaius._

_"I'm sure this overly-excited lad already told you of the good news, Hermione," the physician said, kindly smiling at the stunned face of the brunette. "I'm not quite sure if I did it properly, that is why he brought you here for confirmation. I do believe I haven't done anything wrong brewing it today, though, so…" He gestured at the small vial on his worktable, prompting Hermione to look at it._

_With her blood running cold, she bit her bottom lip hardly._

_The color was a beautiful shade of green._

_Gaius' smile fell as he peered at Hermione's face. "It isn't the right potion still?" he asked, his voice thick with disappointment. He looked over Hermione's head and saw Merlin's slumped shoulders._

_To the surprise of the two, Hermione wryly smiled. "You did nothing wrong, Gaius," she said, her voice barely a whisper. "The potion is perfect."_

_Slowly then, her hand clutched the small vial and tears gathered at the corner of her eyes. A knowing look appeared on Merlin's face, understanding why she was suddenly distressed of Gaius' success, and looked at his mentor with a small frown._

_Soft sobs wracked her body and Merlin comfortingly placed a hand on her shoulder. This was it, her solution back home, and soon, she would leave Camelot._

_An image of Arthur, with his handsome eyes and condescending smile, flashed before her eyes, and she could feel her heart breaking into two._

_How unfair it was, she thought, that when she finally allowed herself to be happy with him, a harsh reminder that she didn't belong here just had to present itself and completely break her heart._

_"G-give me one more day," she said through glassy eyes. "Just one more day, Gaius."_

_And the compassionate physician, his heart going out for the distressed brunette, earnestly nodded his head in reply._

* * *

Tomorrow was the Feast of Beltane.

Tomorrow, King Arthur and Merlin were to return to Camelot.

This thought had plagued Hermione for the rest of the day and while the rest were abuzz and eager to prepare for this event, Hermione was stoic among all of them. She had run autopilot for the whole day, agreeing to do whatever Harry or Minister Shacklebolt asked her to do. Apparently, tomorrow, she was the most important among all of them. Kingsley was able to research of a spell that would ensure the opening of the said veil so that Arthur and Merlin could return back to their kingdom. With her magical prowess, Kingsley thought it would be better if it was Hermione who would produce the spell.

It was night already, and Hermione knew that she needed all the energy she could muster tomorrow. She had practiced the spell with Kingsley a while ago, and she had a gist that she would be absolutely drained tomorrow. It wouldn't do Arthur and Merlin good if Hermione was unable to produce the proper spell and send them somewhere but Camelot.

The thing was, she couldn't sleep. She desperately tried, closing her eyes and avoiding moving too much, but sleep wouldn't just arrive and it had frustrated her so much.

 _'Come on now, Hermione,'_ she told herself, placing a pillow on top of her face. 

Tears pricked her eyes, no matter how much she blinked them away. For the whole day, she managed to control her emotions. In fact, she even avoided any kind of interaction with the king and his manservant. But now that she was alone in the four corners of her room, with nothing that could distract her from her overwhelming emotions, Hermione knew her control had finally broken.

Before she even knew it, she was on her feet, and strolling towards the room of Arthur. Knocking desperately, she was torn whether to wish he would answer it or not. She had no idea what she would tell him if he opened his door and saw her standing in front, distressed and terrible.

A full minute had passed, and she was secretly relieved he had not opened his door yet. But then, just when she was about to return back to her room and cry herself to sleep, the door was thrown open. Opposite her stood a dishevelled king, with dark bags under his eyes and a scary scowl on his face. It seemed like it wasn't only her who couldn't sleep that night.

"Hermione?" the king asked, the irritation dissipating upon seeing her tearstained face. "What are you doing here?"

She sniffed and haphazardly wiped away her tears. "I-I don't know," she whispered in reply.

Arthur knitted his eyebrows in confusion. "You don't know?" he asked, running a hand through his hair. "It's late at night, and I think it is best - "

He was cut off by her lips, crushing hungrily against him. Too stunned to respond, Arthur merely stood frozen on the spot.

Hermione quickly pulled back, her eyes wide and her cheeks flushed. She, too, was surprised with her actions. "I… err… sorry," she said, placing a hand against her lips.

Arthur snapped off from his surprised stupor, his eyes now slightly narrowing with intense emotions swirling inside. He grabbed her wrist and roughly pulled her inside, closing the door behind her with a soft thud. Now, Hermione was trapped between the door and Arthur's chest, and her mind was in a jumbled mess and she just couldn't think.

He pressed his lips against hers once more, and Hermione eagerly responded. Her arms wounded around his neck and she pushed herself flush against his chest, trying to be as close to him as possible. The unspoken grief and desperation both felt were poured through the kiss and Hermione could already feel herself getting lightheaded.

Arthur, to her surprise, pulled back and quickly took a few steps back. Hermione, wide-eyed, stared at him with confusion and disorientation, but the king quickly shook his head and raised both of his arms.

"Leave," he gasped, his voice hoarse from desire. "Please, leave, before I do something we might both regret in the end."

Hermione sniffed, a determined glint now shining in her eyes. Silently then, she reached for the buttons on her shirt and started unbuttoning them.

"W-what are you doing?" Arthur sputtered out, aghast.

She successfully unbuttoned her pajama shirt and had shrugged it off. Slowly, she approached him as her tears increased. "I might not see you anymore, Arthur," she whispered. "I just… I just…" She was, without any doubt, out of her mind, but all she could think about was her broken heart and the fact that she would not be able to see him anymore.

Once she reached him, she placed a hand against his cheek and tiptoed, bestowing a soft kiss against his lips. Arthur was tensed at first, but as the kiss grew intensity, he gradually relaxed against her.

Soon, she found herself on his bed, with him hovering above her.

His eyes shone with emotions as he kissed every inch of her body, whispering his adoration to her. She allowed him to worship her body and she closed her eyes, marvelling every touch and kiss he placed on her body. Through hooded eyes, she saw how he momentarily stared at her scars, before bending down to give them gentle kisses that sent shivers up her spine.

He saw the scar Bellatrix had given to her, an ugly reminder of what she was and the discrimination she would inevitably receive just because she wasn't pure.

"Mudblood?" he whispered, looking at her in question. But Hermione shook her head, tears streaming down from her eyes as nightmares of her past visited her. Arthur, sensing her distress, lifted her arm against his lips and bestowed the gentlest of kisses on her scar. This simple gesture tugged her very heartstrings and soft sobs escaped from her lips.

Arthur kissed her tears away and murmured more loving words against her ears. As soon as her tears abated, he slipped inside her and everything around her didn't matter but him.

"Arthur?" she whispered a few hours later, once he plopped down beside her, completely sated.

The king, with dark eyes, rolled around to face her and pulled her flush against his chest. "What is it?" he whispered, his lips lightly touching the top of her head.

"I love you," she tenderly whispered, snuggling closer to him. Back in Camelot, she was not given the opportunity to properly tell him what she really felt. Arthur was vocal with his feelings for her, but Hermione was too afraid to reply back. But now, here in his arms, she was now sure of what feelings she had for the king.

With her confession, she felt Arthur pulling her closer to himself, unable to reply back. She felt him smiling against her skin, though, and it already spoke volumes for Hermione.

She pressed kisses on his jaw, knowing that the truth would dawn upon them once more. The spell of the night was broken as tears filled Hermione's eyes, knowing that tomorrow, she would not be able to see him anymore.

 _'Can't you stay?'_ was her silent question. It was a selfish request, when the answer was already blatant. Perhaps, if she was merely Hermione Granger and he was only Arthur Pendragon, things between them would be much easier.

Arthur, though, seemed to understand her silent question, for he intently looked into her eyes and sadly smiled.

"I can't stay here," he whispered in the dead of the night, brushing a soft kiss against her forehead. Hermione closed her eyes and allowed her tears to fall. Of course she knew he couldn't stay here; he was, after all, the King of Ancient Camelot. But the way he was looking at her spoke of the undeniable secret only he and she shared – he was asking her to stay with him instead.

Hermione took a deep shuddering breath and looked back at him. "I have one request for you, Arthur," she said. When he questioningly looked at her, she continued, "Find a wife." His face contorted into an ugly expression, but she cupped his chin so that he wouldn't break their gaze. "Camelot needs an heir, Arthur. You are the king; you have responsibilities to uphold to protect your people."

"I'm not really sure I can grant your wish," he wryly said, frowning deeply.

"Arthur…"

"No," he said with conviction. "I can't."

"Isn't that selfish, sire?" she asked, putting more emphasis on her address to him.

Arthur lightly scowled. "I'm going to give you up," he harshly replied. "Isn't that enough?"

Hermione sadly smiled back. "You must find your happiness someday," she said. "That's my only wish for you."

But the king shook his head, eyes adamant and set. "Leaving you will condemn me into a lifetime of grief," he said, face hardening. "I don't think I will be able to find happiness with anyone but you."

"You see, that's the same emotion that had clouded King Uther's judgment as he brought peril upon the people of magic," she whispered, unfazed when he scowled upon mentioning his father's name. "I do not want that for you, Arthur. So promise me, promise me, you will move on and find another."

"This conversation…"

"Arthur," she beseeched. "Please."

Frustrated tears gathered at the corner of his eyes and Hermione deftly wiped them away. Her heart broke for his tears, and Hermione pulled him closer to herself to give him a comforting hug.

"I can't," he finally brokenly sobbed against her neck. "You will always live in my heart, Hermione."

With a sinking heart, Hermione knew that Arthur spoke of the honest truth.

* * *

_They brought her to the Darkling Woods. Gaius reckoned it would be better if she drank the potion here and returned back home since it was far away from the castle and the wrathful king._

_Today was strangely a dreary, cold day. The soothsayers of the kingdom predicted a wonderful weather for today and rarely were they wrong. Hermione thought that perhaps even the sky was mourning for her departure._

_"You all right?" Merlin softly asked, touching her elbow to get her attention._

_She looked at him and merely smiled. She did not trust herself to speak, afraid that she would breakdown once again. Farewells were already exchanged even before they ventured into the forest. Hermione thought it would be best that once they arrived in the forest, she would leave as soon as possible before her mind even changed._

_Finally, Gaius stopped walking and turned to the quiet brunette. "Are you ready?" he asked, kind eyes squinting in sympathy. He pulled out the small vial of potion and gave it to Hermione, who took it silently._

_"Goodbye, Hermione," Merlin sputtered out, unable to help himself. Hermione looked at him and tearfully smiled, noticing how the normally chirpy manservant was awfully grim today._

_"Goodbye, Merlin," she replied. She looked at Gaius and nodded her head, biting her bottom lip so as to stop any incoming onslaught of emotion. She must get back immediately if she wanted this whole thing successful._

_She removed the cork of the vial and took a whiff of it. It smelled exactly the same as the potion Luna had given to her before, reminding her once more that she was to finally return and leave this kingdom that grew close to her heart._

_Momentarily, she closed her eyes and relieved all the memories she had in this kingdom. For such a short period of time, Camelot almost became close to home, and it broke her heart into two knowing she had to leave soon because she didn't belong here._

_When she opened her eyes, a small tear trailed down on her cheek. She could see that even Merlin was trying his very best not to cry but was miserably falling._

_"Merlin?" she whispered._

_"Y-yes?" he asked, loudly sniffing in the silent woods._

_Hermione lifted a hand and deftly wiped away her tears. "P-please take care of Arthur," she said, shakily smiling when Merlin earnestly nodded._

_"I will, Hermione," he gushed out with so much conviction. "I will, I swear."_

_She nodded her head and looked back at the small vial in her hand. Taking in a deep breath, she finished the potion in one gulp. Hermione felt the familiar pulling sensation in her navel and she tightly closed her eyes. There was a loud whoosh as the sound in the background changed. The chirping of the birds and the rustling of leaves were gone, replaced by noisy cars and loud chattering of people._

_Slowly, Hermione opened her eyes and she forlornly smiled._

_Finally, she was home._

* * *

She brought the rear of the group as they trudged into the Forbidden Forest. Minister Shacklebolt thought that since King Arthur and the great Merlin got lost in their own woods back in Camelot, then it would be best and much safer if they also try bringing them home in another forest, too.

The small group consisted of Kingsley, who took the lead, and was closely followed by King Arthur, and then Merlin. Harry stood right in front of her, constantly darting concerned and confused looks at her. As they journeyed to Hogwarts, a certain gloominess hung over their heads. Hermione was reminded of the time when she returned back to the Wizarding World. The weathers before and today were strangely the same, and Hermione wondered if the sky mourned for their inevitable separation, too.

Last night was left unspoken between Arthur and Hermione. They both fell asleep in each other's arms, but before the king could even wake up, Hermione already bounded back to her own room to ready herself for the day. Things between them were wonderful last night. It was, dare she say it, the best day she had ever had. But such joy was dampened with the fact that Arthur was to return to Camelot today, and leave Hermione to nurse another broken heart back to health.

Kingsley and Merlin were engaged in a small conversation, but Hermione could see that Arthur refused to join in. Like her, he was strangely quiet.

Finally, they arrived, and Kingsley led the group at the deeper part of the forest. He then turned to Hermione and ushered her forward. Purposefully, she walked closer to the minister, telling herself not to look away from Kingsley's eyes.

"I trust you have rested well, Head Auror Granger," Kingsley said with a small smile.

Unwittingly, Hermione slightly blushed scarlet. Last night made her a little sore today, but coupled with it was a sense of utter satisfaction.

Kingsley was waiting for her answer and Hermione, still not trusting herself to speak, merely nodded her head.

"Very good," he said, pulling out his wand. "Now the spell, Hermione."

Hermione pulled out her own wand. Loudly, she spoke, " **Rifte béo ætíe [1].** " A sudden gust of wind passed through the forest. Looking around, they finally spotted the shimmering golden veil. Her spell provided help by making the veil more visible to them, so that Arthur and Merlin knew where to cross.

"Well, I guess this is goodbye," Merlin said with a wide smile, shaking Kingsley's hand. "It was nice meeting you all." His eyes landed on Hermione, and his smile slightly faltered, understanding the emotion playing on her face. "In your case, it's nice meeting you again, Hermione."

The brunette lightly smiled and nodded her head.

Merlin then turned to Arthur and ushered him. The king, unemotional, followed without any word. "Camelot awaits their king, sire," the young manservant said, gesturing at the thin veil.

Hermione held her breath as he and Merlin walked closer to the veil. Every part of her body screamed for her to stand where she was, to watch as they successfully returned to Camelot, but then, her traitorous heart urged her to walk closer to the legendary figures of history.

"Hermione?" Harry called, confused at her actions.

Her name had stopped Merlin and Arthur from completely stepping through the veil. They turned around and curiously watched as Hermione, with tears now streaming down from her eyes, stopped right in front of the king. Something flicked in Arthur's eyes as he looked at Hermione and the brunette, her face contorted in silent pain, softly declared, "I…" She paused, her eyes briefly sweeping towards Kingsley and Harry. She returned her gaze back at Arthur and earnestly continued, "I-I'm coming with you."

Harry gasped loudly and stomped forward in indignation. "What are you talking about, Hermione?" he asked, slightly infuriated.

Hermione looked at her best friend and sadly smiled at the distress and horror on his face. "I-I'm sorry, Harry," she murmured. "But I… I can't live without him."

"Are you sure?" Arthur asked, peering straight into her eyes. She looked back at him and genuinely smiled, noting with fondness how his eyes considerably brightened at her truthfulness.

"Head Auror Granger, you do understand the consequences of your decision, yes?" Minister Shacklebolt asked, drawing her attention to him.

The brunette vigorously nodded. Once she stepped through the veil, the people she left in the Wizarding World would gradually forget her. The present she had made with her memories and her presence would all fade into nothingness as she ventured to Camelot, forming a different dimension of her own.

She'd thought all about these last night as she slept with Arthur by her side. Looking at him, in the dead of night, made Hermione firmly believe once and for all that if she were to be separated from him again, she didn't know if she'd be able to move on.

Hermione walked away from Arthur and neared Harry. The-Boy-Who-Lived sadly stared at her, but he knew he couldn't do anything anymore. Once Hermione had decided on something, nothing could stop her.

"I'm sorry, Harry," she repeated in a whisper, throwing her arms around his neck. "I'm sorry."

Harry took in a deep breath and pressed a lingering kiss on her forehead. "I want you to be happy, Hermione," he tiredly said, tears now forming at the corner of his eyes. "If this is what you want, then I shall support you with all my heart."

Hermione gave him a watery smile and placed a kiss on his cheek. "I love you all," she said, before completely breaking away and returning to Arthur's side. Above his head, she could see the smile stretched widely on Merlin's face.

"Ready?" Arthur asked, stretching his hand. Hermione gently smiled, before enclosing her small hand with his.

Together, they stepped through the veil, vowing a silent promise of staying with each other for the rest of their lives.

* * *

**Fin**

* * *

**[1] Rifte béo ætíe – Veil, be visible**


End file.
